What Goes Around
by DragonDancer5150
Summary: Sequel to 'Partners, Friends'. The human Tarukane & his whole household are found dead & all facts point to Hiei. He and Kurama had better find the real culprit or THEY will pay the price! Rating for depiction of abusive discipline, for battle sequences and injuries, and for allusions to torture and rape - these happen "off-screen" & in the past from the point of mention. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1 The Deal Revoked

Full Summary – Sequel to "Partners, Friends" - The death of a human at the hands of a youkai is a sin whose penalty is an unspeakable punishment. It is enough to make even the most hardened of criminal youkai think twice. So when the rich human tyrant Tarukane and his entire household are found dead and all evidence points to Hiei, he and his detective partner Kurama had better find out fast who the real culprit is before they are the ones paying the penalty!

Author's Note: December 9, 2007 – As with so many of my other stories, I have gone through this fic to break the OMG-LONG chapters into shorter, more manageable pieces. Because of this, which increases the overall number, it unfortunately also throws off all reviews before this date. Please note the changes as follows: any reviews to Chp 1 might refer to any of Chp's 1-4; Chp 2 broke out into Chp's 5-7; Chp 3 - Chp's 8-10; Chp 4 - Chp's 11-14; Chp 5 - Chp's 15 & 16; 6 - 17-19; 7 - 20-24; and 8 is now Chp 25.

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 1 – The Deal Revoked

Koenma heard the door of his office open and looked up in annoyance. After having been engrossed in Yusuke and Kuwabara's fight with the Toguro brothers, he was so far behind in paperwork that he had given the order not to be disturbed for any reason. He started to yell at whoever had disobeyed that order but his breath hitched when he saw who stood in the doorway. "Batsukuno?" He frowned. The Chief of Justice was not known for visiting departments beneath his attention such as the Spirit Realm Investigations Bureau, which overlooked matters of the Human Realm. His jurisdiction was the Demon Realm and that took enough of his valuable time. "What are you doing here?" Koenma asked, sounding even more sour than he had meant.

Batsukuno strolled across the room and stopped at the desk, leaning casually against it. "Long time, no see, my prince," the humanoid youkai commented, as though visiting an old friend. "What has it been now? Six weeks? Seven?"

"What do you want, Batsukuno?" Koenma figured he probably was not hiding his unease as well as he would have liked. Whatever Batsukuno was here for, Koenma knew it could not be good.

"Lord Koenma, I'm deeply hurt." His expression did not reach his eyes, which appeared more like he was scheming something unpleasant. At least, that was Koenma's impression. "Cannot business equals visit one another on occasion?"

"I wasn't aware that you consider me an equal, Batsukuno - my father notwithstanding," he replied sardonically. "I'm flattered. However, I happen to be very busy just now. In fact, I had ordered that no one be allowed to bother me so if Jorju let you in, I can only guess you're here for more than idle talk."

Batsukuno gave a wolfish grin and Koenma suppressed a shudder, remembering well the last time he had seen it. "As a matter of fact, I do have business with you - or rather, I should say, with your former Spirit Realm detectives."

That made Koenma look back up so suddenly, he nearly gave himself whiplash. "Excuse me? What do you mean, my 'former' detectives? You don't mean Kurama and Hiei, do you?"

Batsukuno straightened with a look of surprise. "Oh? You've not heard, then? I would have thought your agents would keep you better informed. Has your dynamic duo not yet returned from their errand to the human Tarukane's compound, then? I have heard that you nearly lost your talented humans to the infamous Toguro brothers there, as well."

Koenma grunted, his patience with this pompous ass stretching thin. Even Hiei never tried his tolerance the way the chief admin was doing. "Spill it, Batsukuno. What's going on?"

The wolfish grin was back, bigger than before. "I'm afraid your pets have rather gotten themselves in over their heads this time. Even your favored thief will not be able to weasel his way out of this one, let alone the _assassin_." Batsukuno let the word hang in the air for a long moment.

Koenma jumped up on his desk, scattering paperwork everywhere in an effort to put himself close to eye-level with Batsukuno, outraged by the insinuation. "What are you talking about? Botan's already reported back to me and everything turned out fine. Yusuke and the others are escorting the Ice Maiden, Yukina, back to her home as we speak. No humans were killed except the Toguro's and they don't count!"

"Were they?" Batsukuno murmured. "Hm. I wonder. Anyway, they are not the ones to whom I am referring anyway. I mean Tarukane and his household."

"What are you saying?" Koenma gasped, his breath suddenly stolen.

"Dead. Every last one of them." He leaned in close, locking Koenma's eyes with his own. "Sword strokes - very clean, very professional."

"But . . . b-but Botan - "

"Was obviously mistaken. Was there ever a time when Hiei was alone after the ice girl was rescued? Seems he went back to finish what he started, so she would not have to know. He only stopped because of her, did he not?"

Koenma sat down on his desk, stunned. No! It could not be. Even Hiei knew better than that! True, he did nearly kill the ugly human tyrant in a passionate fury when at last they met. Even Koenma could not have blamed him at that point. However, Hiei had more sense than to return after the fact and kill the human, let alone go through the entire compound. On the other hand, Botan had told him that while Yusuke and Kuwabara took Yukina to safety, Kurama and Hiei combed the place for other possible prisoners - and Koenma could not deny that they had probably split up to do so out of efficiency. He shook his head. No! He could not believe it. Knowing what that meant for both of his youkai detectives, he _would_ not believe it. He would just have to ask them for their side of the story when they got back, which should be any time.

Batsukuno chuckled, breaking into Koenma's thoughts. "I see that you are not taking the news very well. I can hardly blame you. You have invested quite a bit of time and trouble in them, haven't you? I do hate to see such efforts go to waste."

_I'll bet you do!_ Koenma thought with a grunt.

Batsukuno moved to leave. "They should be returning shortly. Make sure that they come see me straight away."

"No! W-wait!" Koenma cried, jumping to his feet again. "There must be some other explanation - "

Batsukuno turned on him and Koenma shrank back from the sudden, cold glare. "Hiei has killed, not just one, but several dozen humans. That sin is inescapable. You know that as well as I. I granted them both probation against my better judgment. I see now that I was indeed mistaken. Their parole has been broken - unforgivably so. I will send my own men to keep an eye out for their arrival. They _will_ be dealt with accordingly, I assure you."

With that, he was gone. Koenma sank heavily back down onto his desk, his paperwork forgotten.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2 Sacrifice

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 2 – Sacrifice

Yusuke paused on the steps of the apartment complex as he dug through his pockets for his keys. "Ah, man! I better not have dropped them somewhere. Mom'll kill me."

Kurama hid a smile behind his hand, teasing, "You survive the Toguro brothers only to have to worry about your mother?"

Yusuke rolled his eyes at him. "Yeah, well . . . There they are!" He jammed one key in the lock and twisted, shoving the door open and glancing up the stairwell. "You sure you don't want to stay for dinner? I know it's kinda late but you and Hiei are both welcome . . . wherever Three-Eyes disappeared to."

"Thank you but no. We have to be getting back to the Spirit Realm to check in, then my mother will be expecting me home."

Yusuke looked at him for a moment, remembering the one time he had met Kurama's human mother, Minamino Shiori. "Yeah. How is she doing these days? Heh - guess I've never asked you that, have I?" He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Kurama grinned at him. "She's fine, thank you. She will be celebrating her marriage to Hatanaka soon. You and Kuwabara should have already received your invitations, in fact." He paused a moment before asking, "Do you think Kuwabara is going to be all right?"

Yusuke considered it. Kuwabara had still looked more than a little depressed by having to say good-bye to Yukina when they dropped him off at his home just shortly before. "Yeah, he'll get over it. Well, if you're going to be seeing Pacifier-Breath, tell him 'hi' for me, will ya?"

"I will, if not quite in those words," Kurama chuckled.

Yusuke laughed. "See ya 'round, Kurama." With that, he closed the door, heading up the stairs to his apartment.

Kurama turned away, sensing more than visually seeking his partner, Hiei. Almost immediately, he looked up, homing in on the presence. The swordsman stood on the limb of a tree high above, watching. He jumped straight down, landing lightly by Kurama's side. "Well, everyone is safely home but us. Shall we?"

"I still don't see why we have to check in after every mission," Hiei groused as the two started down the street. "No doubt Koenma watches everything that happens on that screen of his."

Kurama grinned softly, looking sidelong at his friend. "Not when you block him from scrying on you."

Hiei allowed himself a grin of his own at that. "Well, I can't mask my presence and my Yoki like _some_ people but my Jagan Eye has given me a few useful abilities."

"Yes, well, at least I don't hide from Koenma," Kurama argued mildly.

Hiei's fists clenched suddenly at his sides. "Had Koenma known where I was going, he would have tried to stop me. I'm surprised he didn't send you, in fact. You knew what was on that tape, didn't you? Kurama?"

"I'm sorry, Hiei. They forbade me from telling you. They were afraid of what you would do. There were those who felt you deserved to know - of which I was one - but there were those who felt sure you would go on some kind of violent spree if you found out. Handing you the tape and leaving it up to you to discover the truth or not was the best solution anyone could settle upon. I am not saying I agree with that."

"How long _had_ you been standing there before you finally let me know you were around?" Kurama shrugged. Hiei shook his head with a growl. "I should have been allowed to kill that ugly toad of a human."

"Hiei," Kurama chided, "no matter what they've done, it is not our place to judge humans. They have their own systems for dealing with his kind, just as we have ours - such as it is," he added with a resigned sigh.

"Is that so?" Hiei snarled with such ferocity it caught Kurama off-guard. "Tell me. Had that worthless toad been holding your human mother - imprisoning and torturing her for years - how would _you_ have dealt with him, Kurama?"

Kurama considered that for a long, somber moment before nodding. "A point well made. I have to admit . . . I don't know. There might well have had to be someone there to stop me as well. I can only pray I would have better restraint than that."

Hiei nodded, reluctantly satisfied with the answer. At least he was being honest. They walked in silence a moment longer before he spoke again. "So tell me, what _would_ you have done had I killed that human?"

"What would I have done . . . or what would have happened to me?"

Hiei did not respond. As always, Kurama saw to the heart of his thoughts.

Kurama hesitated before answering. "It is good that Yukina stopped you. We are in this together, my friend. You know that."

More out of guilt than anger, Hiei growled, "You were a fool to ever agree to such a thing."

"Was I?" Kurama stopped walking. After another step, Hiei stopped and turned, ruby red eyes meeting emerald green. "Tell me, Hiei. _Am_ I a fool to trust you?" Kurama's tone was serious but the look in his eyes softened the question.

For a long moment, the two friends stood regarding one another in silence. Hiei was the first to look away and Kurama smiled. Words were not needed. He knew the answer.

Hiei started walking again and, this time, Kurama had to quicken his pace to catch up. They reached the park within moments. The setting sun cast long shadows from the trees around them. "Where is that damned portal site?" Hiei held up his hand, palm out, sensing for the thinness in the barriers between the Realms, his hand glowing with Yoki.

Wandering off a few feet from him, Kurama called softly, "Here it is." As Hiei stepped over to his side, a rift began to form before Kurama's upraised hand, responding to the mystical periphery key bound within. It had taken the two of them a while to master the use of their keys and learn the best locations for employing them throughout the three Realms. The portal lengthened to human height and Hiei stepped through, Kurama following and releasing the energy behind them. The magic swirled across the vertical space in decreasing eddies, like ripples on water, until it faded entirely. They stood now in the entry hall of the main fortress of the Spirit Realm, the massive Gate of Judgment behind them. Though it was still early in the evening, the hall was strangely deserted.

Kurama looked around, a feeling of apprehension creeping up on him. "Something is not right." Hiei only nodded as they started across the hall for the administration wing.

Both reacted even before the guards showed themselves. They moved back-to-back on reflex as some three dozen guards emerged from side halls to corner the two between themselves and the Gate. "Not this routine again," Hiei growled.

"What's going on?" Kurama demanded. "Why do you block our way?" This was not quite the same. Whereas the group a few weeks ago had been little more than thugs looking to bully them, this group seemed deadly serious. Something was definitely wrong.

One large fellow singled himself out from the rest, stepping forward. The sash crossing his trunk marked him as a captain. He held a sack in one hand with something large and heavy inside. Kurama startled as his sensitive olfactory caught the smell of blood - human blood. "Jaganshi Hiei - and Youko Kurama, as his partner - you are hereby under arrest for the deaths of the human Tarukane and his household."

Both caught their breaths at the pronouncement. "What did you say?" Kurama gasped.

"Don't be ridiculous," Hiei scoffed angrily. "Against my better judgment, I left that ugly toad babbling in his arena viewing room."

"Then how do you explain this?" the youkai demanded, pulling the item from his sack. Gripped right-side-up by the open throat was the head of Tarukane Gonzu.

Kurama and Hiei both took a step back in shock at the sight. "What kind of sick game - !" Hiei began.

"He was found in said viewing room but no longer in one piece, as you can see. What's more, his entire household - all of his servants, guards, and other employees - have been found dead. Their souls have already been questioned by Spirit Realm agents before released to their final destinations. Not one could positively identify the murderer. They were killed from behind or while already unconscious and helpless. Those who could describe any attacker at all have pointed to you, Jaganshi Hiei - every one of them without variation."

"How were they killed?" Kurama asked, trying to grasp what was going on, if nothing else stalling for time.

"By the sword, a katana as best as we can determine. Except for Tarukane here." The captain tilted the head back on his wrist. "Severed by brute force, as you can see. So, will you surrender yourselves peacefully?"

Without turning to look at him, Kurama contacted Hiei telepathically. -_If we do, we'll never see the light of day again. We have to find out what happened_.-

-_Not from the prison, we won't_,- Hiei responded grimly even as he began to reach for his sword.

-_No time to open another portal out of here. On the count of three, then. One . . . two . . . three!_- "Rose Whip!"

They pulled their weapons and charged, breaking one to either side. The guards had anticipated the response, closing around them before they had crossed a dozen feet of the chamber. Within seconds, several were down, either injured or dead. Kurama leaped high and flipped, freeing himself of one knot of opponents, and hazarded a look around. Hiei could have been long gone already, darting through the crowd, cutting a path where he could not otherwise slip through. He had not. Kurama recognized that his partner was pacing him. Just as he took note of it, something else caught his attention. The sense of a powerful, nearly overwhelming Yoki filled his mind. _Batsukuno!_ he realized. -_Hiei!_-

-_We're more than halfway across the room. Watch out! Off your left shoulder!_-

Kurama spun around, cracking his Rose Whip and disarming the guard trying to get a sneak shot on him from behind. The next strike blinded him, thorns ripping expertly across his eyes. _-Hiei, get out of here!_-

-_What? Are you insane? Kurama - ! _-

-_Listen to me! Batsukuno is on his way here. I know you can feel him, too. One of us must escape to find out what's going on. You're much faster than I am. Go! Before Batsukuno gets here and fells us both as he has done before!_-

As much as Hiei hated it, he could not argue with Kurama's reasoning. Still . . . -_No, Kurama, I won't leave you to these wolves!_-

-_If you don't go now, very quickly the chance will be gone! Hiei, you know that I am right! Hurry!_-

Just then, the hard leather soles of approaching boots could be heard over the din of the fight. Hiei cursed under his breath as a slash of his katana felled yet another attacker. -_Damn! . . . I'll be back. I swear it!_- With that, he disappeared. The guards around him swore loudly and turned on Kurama in force.

Kurama lowered his weapon, no longer having reason to resist. The whip was wrenched from his hand, the brute tearing it in two even before it could revert to its original form. "Hey, thief - catch!" the captain grunted. On reflex, Kurama did catch the human's head as it was tossed to him, then dropped it in disgust. The fat, bald head rolled to look up at him, sightless eyes staring grotesquely, and Kurama suppressed a shudder of horror.

Batsukuno rounded the corner just then as two guards took hold of their prisoner by the arms. The captain crossed to him and bowed smartly. "Lord Batsukuno, the thief has been captured but I'm afraid the assassin has escaped. Forsook his partner, it would seem," he added, casting a knowing smirk over his shoulder.

"So it would seem, indeed," Batsukuno murmured, crossing to Kurama. "So our little fire apparition shows his true merit, after all. So much for the thief's good judgment."

Kurama's eyes narrowed. "Whatever is going on, Hiei will get to the bottom of it."

Batsukuno backhanded him angrily, a ring lacerating a line across Kurama's cheek. "Hiei _is_ the bottom of it! Don't be blind. You're too intelligent for that. He's a fire apparition and an assassin to boot. Even you can deny neither his temper nor his training. Tell me, did you not see the guards and servants he left slaughtered on his way in?"

Kurama glared back in stubborn defiance. "Hiei never drew his sword. His martial expertise is equal to his swordsmanship. He left those men subdued, unconscious - not dead."

"You saw this yourself, then?"

At that, Kurama hesitated, then decided that the truth was best. "I . . . entered through another door."

"And once you did meet up with him in the room after the girl Yukina stopped him, did he ever leave your sight until you were both off the premises?"

"_Kurama!_"

Both turned as Koenma flew down the corridor from the administration wing, Jorju close behind. Kurama did a double-take at the sight. Yes, Lord Koenma was indeed flying.

Koenma pulled up short of Batsukuno, hovering at eye level. "Tell your men to release him, Batsukuno! He's still under my - "

"_Not_ anymore." Kurama saw Koenma pull back from the cold glare and hard tone of voice. "I have already discussed this with you and the matter is closed. Probation is hereby revoked. End of discussion. When Hiei is recaptured - and I assure you, he will be - he will suffer the full penalty for the death of each human he killed. And this one" - He glared over his shoulder at Kurama - "will be going where I should have sent him in the first place. As I have said, I was too lenient before. That mistake will now be remedied."

"What do you mean?" Koenma gasped.

"Lord Koenma, Hiei - "

"Silence!" Batsukuno snarled, whirling on Kurama with a gesture.

Agony flashed through Kurama, every fiber of his existence screaming as though he had been thrown into a raging fire. His legs buckled and his guards released him, letting him collapse in a heap.

Jorju jumped back at the sight. "L-lord Koenma!"

Koenma hugged his arms about himself, shivering. The last time he had seen someone writhe like that, it had been Yusuke trying to fight the Saint Beast Suzaku through his Storm of Torment attacks. ""B-batsukuno, s-stop it this instant!" he demanded, hoping he sounded more authoritative than he felt. "That's uncalled for. Stop it!"

Batsukuno gestured again and slowly Kurama relaxed, breathing hard. His guards hauled him to his feet once more, this time having to support him until his legs could recover. Batsukuno grabbed him by the chin, forcing Kurama to look at him. "You have gotten away with quite a bit up until now. I kept your trial private and your true identity largely unknown as I am aware that you have many enemies in the Demon Realm. You evaded capture time and again during your career until the Special Defense soldier Shunjun finally caught up with you. Don't think that I have been unaware of your crimes. That past has now caught up to you, 'Silver Fox'. Your new sentence begins now."

"Hey! W-wait!" Koenma protested, his voice barely above a whisper. "What about . . . a trial . . . ?"

Without taking his eyes off Kurama, the chief admin coldly replied, "This was his trial. You are my witness. Youko Kurama, you will serve out the remainder of your time in the Pit - should you live that long."

Kurama met his gaze evenly, giving no outward reaction, even as he felt his insides knot in response. He had been expecting that but anticipating it did not make hearing it pronounced any less fearful. _Gods above and below, have mercy!_

"You." Batsukuno singled out a handful of the guards, including the two holding Kurama. "Take him away. Captain, take the rest and find me that traitorous assassin. And someone, clean up this unsightly mess." Batsukuno nudged the head with a toe, then turned an ugly grin to Jorju. "The oni can take care of that. Oh, and Lord Koenma, your father will have a full report from me by morning as well." Koenma winced at that. Satisfied, Batsukuno spun on his heel and departed.

A guard pulled a set of Yoki-dampening shackles and began to fasten them on Kurama, who offered no resistance. Koenma just stared at him for a moment. "K-kurama . . . " Kurama met his gaze, noting the anguish in the small ruler's brown eyes. "I-I'm sorry. There's . . . nothing more I can do." He growled suddenly, smacking one fist into the other palm. "Argh! I knew I should have sent you with Hiei from the start! I just _knew_ something like this would happen!"

"No! Lord Koenma, Hiei is innocent of this. I know he is. He will find out who is behind this and set things right."

"Maybe. But even if you're right . . . will he be in time?"

Kurama swallowed the lump in his throat. He could not answer that.

"Enough," one guard put in. "Lord Koenma, with your permission . . . " The comment was more of a formality than anything else as the group pushed past Koenma and Jorju, dragging their prisoner to his fate.

Jorju stared after them, shuddering. "L-lord Koenma, sir, s-surely there must be _something_ - "

"No. Nothing," Koenma replied, his tone desolate. He heaved a sigh, feeling a weight heavier than any he had felt before settling around him. "Believe me, Jorju . . . I wish there was."

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3 After Hours

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 3 – After Hours

Koenma sat alone in his office, staring at the paperwork ever-present on his desk. Everyone else had left hours earlier. Even Jorju had turned in for the night. Botan had not been seen for several hours, having disappeared soon after hearing the news. Koenma hoped she was all right. She had been deeply upset. As late as it was, Koenma had not even considered bed, knowing that he would not be able to sleep. Besides, this paperwork was still waiting to be completed so it could be filed. It should have been filed yesterday. Koenma glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was after mid-night. _OK_, he thought wryly, _make that the day _before_ yesterday_. Suddenly, he threw down his stamp and shoved the papers away with a grunt of frustration. This worrying was getting him nowhere - and the roof of his mouth was sore from sucking on the pacifier. _Lot of good it's doing to _pacify_ me!_

He did not hear the door open, did not notice the shadow that slipped across the room until it stood right in front of his desk. "Where is Kurama?" a voice asked, at once soft and intense.

"_HIEI!_" Koenma jumped so hard the pacifier popped out of his mouth and bounced across the desk. He clutched at his chest as though suffering a heart attack. "What the - ? _Where in the Nine Hells of the Abyss have you been?_" Recovering himself, he shook his head. "Never mind that. What do you want?"

"Where is Kurama?" Hiei reiterated quietly, the undertone of wrath barely held in check.

Koenma glowered at him, the worries and frustrations of the day breaking to the fore. "Why? What do you care? You've abandoned him once already."

Hiei's fists balled up. "I did _not_ abandon him - "

"Yeah. I wish I could believe that," Koenma shot back.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" Hiei growled.

"Guilty conscience?" Had Koenma been any less angry, he would have had enough presence of mind to regret the jab. As it was, he sat back in alarm as a hand shot out at him. Hiei caught the front of his jacket and hauled him across the desk, the other arm cocked back, ready to strike. Then the youkai hesitated, as though only just realizing what he was doing. Koenma frowned at him. "Go on, Hiei. Hit me. Prove me wrong about you, after all. Prove Kurama wrong. Prove everyone else right. It's your choice."

After a moment, Hiei relented, pushing Koenma away as he let go. Koenma stood, retrieved his pacifier, straightened his jacket, and met the fire apparition's gaze. In a quiet voice, Hiei asserted, "Whatever happened, it was not me."

Koenma sighed. "I want to believe you, Hiei. I really do . . . but whether I believe you or not is really of no consequence at this point. Kurama is beyond my power to help."

Hiei reacted in alarm. "What do you mean? They didn't . . . "

Koenma nodded. "They did. Batsukuno sent him to the Pit. He's to serve out the remainder of his sentence there. Your parole has been revoked, Hiei. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that Batsukuno's men are looking for you."

Hiei did not seem to hear the latter half of Koenma's comments. Koenma could see the thought in ruby eyes: Kurama . . . in the Pit. Hiei shook his head with a growl. "Then I'll just have to break him out."

"I did not just hear you say that."

8 8 8 8 8

Hiei looked up at Koenma with a start. The comment had been soft but with a stern authority in his voice that Hiei had never heard before. Koenma was staring at him intensely, stubby arms crossed. "In fact, this conversation never happened . . . nor did I give you these." Koenma turned and dropped back into his chair, pulling open a drawer in the desk. He produced a rose and a small, corked jar. "I was wondering how I could get these to him. In here is a regenerative healing salve from Mother Medusa, an oni witch from the Sulfur Mountains in the Demon Realm. I'm sure you've heard of her - everyone does sooner or later." Hiei nodded mutely, accepting the items. "It will heal even the most serious of surface injuries within an hour, at least on full youkai. Internal injuries such as broken bones, of course, it can't help. We'll just have to pray there aren't any to worry about. And - " Koenma held up a thick, heavy key, " - if it is discovered that my copy of the key to the secret corridor into the prison is missing, you stole it. Understand? Considering your background, you probably already know the corridor I'm talking about."

"I've heard of it," Hiei conceded quietly, staring at the items in his hands. He looked up at Koenma. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I can't do anything else - about you or Kurama . . . but you can. He still trusts you to straighten this mess out." Koenma leaned forward earnestly. "Free Kurama and clear your name. I'm counting on you, Hiei. Kurama's counting on you."

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

There was no sound, no movement, to disturb her sleep. Still, Genkai found herself awakened. Something was near, inside the walls of her mountain retreat. She reached out with her senses. It was not a threat but there was strong emotion - a need, a cry for help. She rolled over on her futon, looking at the moon through the open window. The hour was late, past midnight at least. With a groan, she pulled herself up, slipping a robe about her shoulders. She prowled out of her private chamber into the temple's common room, silent as a cat. Pausing at the front door, she searched the grounds both visually and psionically. Under the moonlight, the structures of the compound cast long shadows across the ground. Along the wall, just inside the gate, there was a bump in the darkness and Genkai could hear soft sobbing. Her senses told her that a ferry girl was within her domain. A figure sat huddled against the wall, her head down on her knees, arms hugged around her slender legs. Genkai knew who it was even before she was halfway across the courtyard.

"A little far from home, aren't you, Botan?"

Botan looked up with a start. "Oh! M-master Genkai!" She wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry if I woke you - "

The old woman gave her a kind smile. "Isn't that why you came here?"

"Well, I . . . yes. I-I didn't know where else to go! There's no one in the Spirit Realm I can talk to or even trust - except Lord Koenma but there's nothing he can do. I can't go to Yusuke and get him involved - "

"Whoa there, girl. Slow down," Genkai put in, interrupting her near-hysterical ramble. "What's happened? Has my dimwit apprentice gotten himself in some kind of trouble?"

"Oh, n-no, it's nothing like that. Or, well, it doesn't involve Yusuke anyway, at least not yet - but it might. He's bound to find out!"

Genkai sighed. Botan was just too upset to answer questions with any kind of sense. She pulled the girl to her feet. "Let's get you inside out of the cold. I'll heat us up some water for tea. Are you hungry?"

Once a fire was lit in the hearth and both were settled with cups of hot tea, Genkai listened patiently as Botan spilled her tale. " . . . Koenma tried to stop him but Lord Batsukuno refused to even consider the matter! I-I _know_ that everything looks like Hiei did it but there _has_ to be another explanation. I was there! I know Hiei wouldn't have . . . wouldn't have . . . " She shook her head, not even able to bring herself to utter the words. "He was angry, yes - furious, in fact - but he stopped. He did stop! He promised Yukina that he wouldn't kill Tarukane. Kurama heard him! Once Yukina was safe, there was no reason to go back. He wouldn't have. I just know it! B-but now, Hiei's missing a-and Kurama's - " Her voice failed her and she wept again into her tea. "It's just horrible!"

Genkai sat in silence for a moment, thinking. "Hiei . . . and Kurama. Those names sound familiar. You said that this Kurama is a hybrid of some sort, half human?" Botan nodded mutely. "How old is he? How old is his human body?"

"Um, well, he's a year ahead of Yusuke in school - and Yusuke is fifteen - so he must be about sixteen."

Genkai nodded, smirking to herself. "So the crafty old youko managed to escape after all, did he?" At Botan's questioning look, Genkai chuckled. "I don't believe in coincidence. I heard some years ago about one of the Spirit World Special Defense members, an arrogant bastard by the name of Shunjun, who had the distinction of having caught the notorious youkai thief, Youko Kurama. Kurama was believed to have slipped away only to die of his injuries . . . except that his soul never made it to the Spirit Realm. I always wondered what happened to him.

"And Hiei. I've heard of a youkai named Hiei - a mercenary fire apparition, a lone-wolf assassin and a bounty hunter of sorts . . . and a _Jaganshi_, if I'm not mistaken."

Botan nodded. "A Jagan master, yes. That's him. But he's not the same, not like what you're thinking." She explained the theft of the Artifacts of Darkness - the reason she and Yusuke knew them both to begin with - their trial and later transfer to Lord Koenma as Spirit Realm detectives, and how Hiei seemed to be coming around about a few things - or so Koenma had told her once.

Genkai set down her tea and crossed her arms, head bowed in thought. "So . . . now Kurama is in a place called 'the Pit,' hm?" A murmur escaped Botan at the comment. "What is that, exactly?"

Botan shuddered but forced herself to answer the question. "It's a series of rooms in the center of the prison. They're . . . t-torture chambers." Just saying the words was hard for the poor girl. She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat before continuing. "No one has ever left the Pit. No one has survived long enough to make it through their sentence." She gasped suddenly. "Wait! That's not true. Hiei escaped. Kurama saved him."

Genkai nodded. "Well, then, if for no other reason, I imagine he'll be honor-bound to return the favor."

Botan shook her head. "Oh, no, it's more than that! Hiei and Kurama are detective partners and close friends. Most people think Hiei just abandoned him but I don't believe it! Whatever the reason Hiei left, he'll be back and he'll rescue Kurama . . . or, at least, try."

"Hm. In that case, Hiei will need some supplies to help care for his partner."

Botan startled at that. "What do you mean?"

"Assuming he survives the experience - "

Botan's cry of dismay interrupted her. "No! Don't say that. Master Genkai, Kurama - "

Genkai gave her a disapproving glare. "Face the facts, girl! There's a chance your friend won't make it, no matter how desperately you want to believe otherwise. You have to be prepared for that possibility." Genkai could see that Botan wanted to argue the point but, to her credit, only nodded mutely. "Now, as I was saying - assuming your friend survives his ordeal, he will be badly injured and in need of medical attention. No doubt, Hiei will have the knowledge to know what to do but, if he's being hunted, he may not be able to get the supplies he'll need. Here - follow me."

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4 Kurama's Inferno

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 4 – Kurama's Inferno

Kurama had no idea how long it had been since the guards had gone, leaving him in the cell he now occupied. He knew exactly where he was - in the high-security section deep within the prison. In fact, he realized with a twinge of irony, he could easily be in the same cell he had once found Hiei. _Wouldn't that be fitting?_ he thought wryly. Heaving a sigh, he leaned back against the wall, seated cross-legged on the ground. The cell was barren except for the narrow trench in the floor along the wall opposite the door, which reeked of stale excrements, and the chains hanging down the same wall from rings bolted to the stones. Kurama could only be thankful that he had not been locked into them. He had tried to lay down but found sleep far from him. The knot in his stomach had yet to unfold itself. He looked down at the shackles, idly twisting one wrist back and forth in the cuff, testing it. _If they have not come by this time, I doubt they will tonight. Surely, it is late enough, after midnight, at least._

_ If I am to do this, it must be now . . . while I am still physically able._

His mind made up, Kurama began twisting the manacle in earnest, slowly working his slender hand free. Once done, he looked at the sides of his hand, bleeding where he had lacerated them on the rough edges of the metal cuff. _A small price to pay_. He worked the other free, keeping the chains from clicking as much as possible, then kicked off his shoes. For most people, ankle cuffs were all but impossible to remove over the heel of the foot but being a master thief had also meant becoming something of an escape artist. One of the many tricks he knew involved using the blood from his wrists to grease the skin. Quickly, his ankles and feet were slick with their own blood but he managed to work himself free of those cuffs as well. He set the shackles aside, then reached into the folds of his clothes, satisfied that he could now both move freely and access his Yoki. _They think by taking a single rose, they have divested me of my only weapon_, Kurama thought. _They are wrong_. From various tiny pockets in his clothing and from his hair, he gathered a small assortment of seeds into his palm, looking them over. _There must be something among these I can use to open that door_. On his own, he could not have reached the lock on the outside of the door even if he had a set of lockpicks on him. _But a vine, perhaps -_

Kurama could not react fast enough as a key turned in the lock and the door swung suddenly open. Startled, he stood with enough force to kick the shackles, the cuffs clattering noisily over each other, the seeds scattering across the stonework. For a brief instant, Kurama found himself hoping it was Hiei. He could not have been more wrong.

"Well, well, looky what we have here," Bokuma smirked, leaning lazily on the doorjamb. "A pretty fox caught in the hunter's trap."

"Oooh," another prison warden murmured, peeking around the jamb. He was short, thickly built, and disfigured by heavy scarring. Kurama could only guess what abuses had permanently lain such patterns across the youkai's flesh. " Chief wasn't lying, I see. Get to play with him after all, do we?"

"You do know what we do with foxes down here in the Pit, don't you?" Bokuma continued. "We skin them . . . alive."

In spite of himself, Kurama found himself pulling back from his to-be torturers. His heel went over the edge of the trench, the chains jangling ominously as he backed into them, and his breath caught in his throat.

"Feeling trapped, little fox?" Bokuma jeered.

"Fox? Oh, no, no - a skittery rabbit that one looks," the other chuckled, sounding less than sane. "Hee, hee! I love when they get that look on their faces! Oh, we are going to have so much fun."

"You didn't sense us coming, did you?" Bokuma nodded knowingly. "Well, thief, you're not the only one who can mask himself." He looked meaningfully at the shackles on the ground. "What? Didn't like the jewelry? They come free with the accommodations but they're still the best money can buy."

"Sorry. They do not suit me," Kurama responded, finding his voice at last.

"Oh? Well, perhaps if we paint them red to match your hair," Bokuma suggested, stepping into the cell. Kurama shifted away from him involuntarily, even knowing there was no escape, as Bokuma bent to retrieve the manacles. "Ah, but I see you already have." Grinning maliciously, he ran a finger along the inside of one cuff, then licked the blood from his finger.

Kurama stared back at him in disgust. "You are sick, Bokuma."

Bokuma only chuckled at that. "You have no idea . . . but you will."

Kurama had retreated into a corner without even realizing what he had done. Bokuma shot out a hand and caught Kurama by one arm, then jerked and twisted with an expert ease Kurama had not realized he possessed. He stood now facing the door, his back to Bokuma, one arm wrenched up painfully behind his back. An iron grip on his other shoulder ensured that he stayed exactly where Bokuma wanted him. His breath hot on Kurama's ear, Bokuma warned him in a low voice, "You're in _my_ territory now, youko. There is no escape. The slightest resistance will be duly rewarded. Be sure you remember that. Now, move!" Kurama could do no more than let himself be steered out of the cell and down the corridor, away from whence he had come, away from freedom.

The stench was the first thing to reach him. As a human, one thing Kurama had retained was his fine sense of smell. Faint at first in the stagnant air, Kurama recognized the scent of blood, of fear and pain, of death. Terror and agony rode in shifting waves around him, nearly making him gag. As they neared the turn in the corridor, he realized he could hear muffled screams as well.

"Almost there!" the other warden taunted, chortling in anticipation.

Turning the corner, Kurama stopped short of a thick, wood-and-iron door. Bokuma pulled him to one side as their companion danced forward with the keys. The warden pushed the door inward and bowed, inviting them inside.

Shrieks of pain, groans of wooden machinery, the roar of a fire in the great fireplace and another in a stone ring in the center of the room, the smell of smoke and blood and pain - the sounds and scents of the Pit assaulted Kurama all at once, sending him reeling back into his captor. "Oh, no, you don't," Bokuma laughed, shoving him forward. Kurama stumbled into a massive room full of youkai and even a few oni. He averted his eyes before he could take in too much detail of who were the torturers and who the tormented, nor did he want to know what was being done. In school, he had read a translated version of an Italian classic called Dante's Inferno. He had never imagined he would ever visit the place. He could close his eyes but he could not escape the smells and cacophony of noises all around him.

"Ooh! What do we get to do first?" their companion begged, practically bouncing in eagerness. Kurama was beginning to think of him as more of a demented dog than a warden.

"Careful," Kurama murmured. "You're drooling."

Without warning, the youkai warden lashed out with a snarl, claws raking his face. Kurama twisted just in time to keep from losing an eye with the strike.

Bokuma laughed deeply. "I told you. He's got spirit. He'll have to be softened up a bit first. Here, clamp him to the pillar."

Kurama was shunted to Dog, who caught him with a strength even greater than Bokuma's. Dog dragged him to a column where Kurama spotted a pair of manacles bolted to its side. He struggled as Dog ripped off his sash and his jacket but his human-impaired strength was simply no match for the squat youkai. Dog pulled Kurama's arms up over his head, locking his already lacerated wrists into the cuffs so that he faced the pillar, the stone rough and cold against his bare chest. With a chuckle, Dog delicately pulled his long hair off his back through the inside of one arm. Kurama twisted, glancing over his other shoulder, then wished he had not. Bokuma was crossing back over to them, carrying a whip that sported at least five or six knotted braids, bits of jagged steel glittering in the firelight along the full length of each cord. _Gods give me strength_, he pleaded in despair, bracing as he heard and felt the first crack of the lashes.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"_K-KURAMA-A-A-A!_"

Kuwabara sat bolt upright in bed, sweat-soaked, shuddering as the echoes of incredible agony faded from his mind, his whole body aching with the memory. His eyes darted all around the darkened room before he recognized where he was. He ran a hand over his face, trying to calm himself, when a shadow appeared at his door.

"Hey, little bro, you all right?"

In the small amount of light from the street lamp peeking in around his window curtain, Kuwabara could just make out the form of his older sister, Shizuru, a bed-robe clutched about her shoulders. He waved her off. "Oh! Hey, sis. Yeah, I'm all right. Just a nightmare."

"It's two a.m. and you've been moaning for a while now. You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah . . . it's nothin'. Sorry I woke ya up."

Shizuru stared at him in the darkness. "Who's Kurama?" she asked at length.

"Huh? Oh, uh - a friend of me an' Urameshi's."

"Yeah? Well, all right." She turned to leave but stopped. "Kazu?"

"Huh?" He startled at her use of his nickname.

"Why don't you give your friend a call in the morning?" She shrugged. "Just to make sure."

Kuwabara nodded. "Yeah, maybe. I'm sure it's nothin', though." As she withdrew, he laid back down. He could tell his sister that nothing was wrong but he could not tell himself enough times to ease the nagging itch at the back of his mind. _But if somethin' was up, wouldn't he have let us know?_ Kuwabara wondered. _Guess I was kinda distracted earlier_. He heaved a thick sigh, turning on his side and curling up slightly against a sudden chill that would not be relieved. _I'll give Urameshi a call. Maybe he knows somethin'_.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Silent as a specter, a lone figure stole down the corridor, sparing no thought for the warden left unconscious behind him. Hiei gripped the warden's keyring as he counted doors. He had been in Cell 137. He had been trained to note and remember seemingly insignificant details like that and now he knew he would be surprised if he did not find Kurama in that very cell. Bokuma had a sense of humor just like that, if that's what one could call it.

The door of Cell 137 stood ajar. Hiei's heart sank as he approached. He was too late. He looked in to see a discarded set of shackles and a pair of slippers. His sharp eyes also spotted the seeds scattered across the floor. A closer look at the manacle cuffs revealed blood. _Looks like Kurama was caught mid-escape_, he growled silently, knowing his friend well enough to read the signs correctly. _No doubt_ _he will pay dearly for that. Grrr!_ Hiei leaned back against the wall, hands shoved into his pockets out of habit, minimally comforted by one thought. _He's too new of a toy for them to kill him just yet. Sick bastard's wanted to get his hands on Kurama for some time. Being his first visit, they should go easy on him, comparatively. Then again, knowing Bokuma . . . _

_In any case, they'll bring him back here eventually._

Hiei knelt, carefully gathering the seeds, and snuck out of the room. He would just have to bide his time a little longer.

_Be strong, Kurama_.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5 Fallen

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. Batsukuno, Bokuma, and Dog are the only characters I own. If you want to use them for your own fic, I probably would not mind but please ask. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 5 – Fallen

_Heaven bend to take my hand, And lead me through the fire.  
Be the long-awaited answer, To a long and painful fight.  
We all began with good intent, When love was raw and young.  
We believed that we could change ourselves; The past can be undone.  
But we carry on our back the burden Time always reveals -  
In the lonely light of morning, In the wound that would not heal.  
It's the bitter taste of losing everything That I've held so dear - _

_I've fallen  
I have sunk so low  
I messed up  
Better I should know  
So don't come 'round here  
And tell me 'I told you so'_

"Fallen" - Sarah McLachlan

Silence. That was the first thing his pain-riddled mind registered. No one was screaming. No flames popped and hissed while caressing heated irons. No whips cracked, raking searing pain across his exposed flesh. No wood groaned. No voices taunted. Nothing could be heard but his own heartbeat thumping slowly against the frigid stone beneath him.

_Am I dead?_

Kurama tried to force his eyes open but only one would obey. He could feel the thick swelling and claw slashes deep along the other cheek. The salty-sweet taste of blood filled his mouth. For a long moment, he lay staring blankly at the wall, trying to take a mental inventory of himself. He could only guess that he still had all of his parts attached, if not intact. There was simply too much pain clouding his senses to be sure. He slid his good arm up next to his chest and began to push off the ground. Instantly, spasms of retching struck, breaking wave after wave of agony through him with each convulsion, his insides threatening to surface in lieu of other options. Thankfully, there was nothing left to give, not even spittle or bile. At length, his body calmed down and he let himself rest for a moment.

_Apparently not._

Whipfire burned from his shoulders to his hips - and the vicious flogging had only been the beginning. As Bokuma had said, the whip was simply meant to lower his resistance. After that, the real games began. Kurama had a fairly high pain threshold but Bokuma and Dog had tested his level of tolerance in ways he never could have imagined. He hurt everywhere, with bruises, burns, and holes poked in him in places even medical instruments had no business being. Dog had particularly enjoyed trying to tattoo crude designs across his flesh with a superheated iron poker. He was insufferably cold, the stone floor leeching away what little body heat he had. His head swam with each wave of nausea that threatened a repeat performance, his vision badly blurred. The floor beneath him felt like it was swaying out of control and he wondered distantly if this was what it felt like to sleep on a ship at sea. His throat was raw from screaming as well. He had managed to hold out longer than even he had expected but, in the end, gave in to the cries as his only means of escape.

Kurama had been deposited like a rag doll, lying in a prone position that would have been rather uncomfortable had he not already been in so much pain. The only thing that did not hurt, it seemed, was his right arm and that because he was laying on it. It had fallen asleep . . . he hoped. _Perhaps for the best_, he thought grimly. The shoulder was out of joint. He could not remember, nor did it matter, if it had happened during the flogging or in struggling as Bokuma methodically broke one knuckle after another of his right hand, ensuring that none of the fingers escaped notice. Even now, the sadistic torturer's mocking words echoed through his mind. _"Ha! Even if you do have a youkai's healing, you may never hold your precious Rose Whip again - not that you'll have a chance to try."_

_Well, with little bloodflow into that limb, at least it's one place I'm not losing much blood out of_, he thought, trying to find some comfort in grim humor to cheer himself. He could only groan instead. _And Hiei endured how many months of this? How did he survive?_

_I am indeed going to die down here_, Kurama thought. A murmur escaped him with the realization, tears stinging his eyes as despair threatened to overwhelm him. A vision of his mother flickered through his mind, followed by ones of Hiei, Yusuke and Kuwabara. _Mom, my friends - I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Sorry that I could not say good-bye._

_ Stop it. Stop it!_ he growled suddenly, angry with himself, squeezing his eye shut to deny the tears threatening to fall. _Not thinking straight, that's all. Come on, Kurama._ Once again, more carefully, he tried to push himself up. He successfully resisted the reflex to vomit again but without the use of his right arm, he was only twisting his back, breaking open the scabs that had formed along the whipwounds. Fresh blood trickled along his sides and down over the bad shoulder. _Aaah! No! No good, not that way._ Changing tactics, he rolled slowly onto his left side, biting back moans as white shards of pain lanced across his vision and mind. He managed to work himself into a sitting position, pulling his feet under himself, immediately hugging his good arm over the other, supporting it across his bruised ribs as he took stock of his situation. _Dislocated shoulder . . . shattered fingers on one hand . . . whiplashes . . . muscle strains . . . burns . . . piercing wounds . . . cold sweat - that would indicate that I am very likely in shock. At least one rib is cracked if not broken,_ he reasoned as pain lanced through him with each shallow breath. He hazarded a look down at himself and realized, to add insult to injury, that he was nude. _Well, that would explain why it's so cold_, he thought, trying once more to find comfort in humor. He dragged his broken, beaten body to the wall, leaning on his good shoulder for support. For a long moment, he just sat there huddled over, a study in misery, unaware of the tears until one slipped down his nose, dripping onto his chest.

In spite of his best efforts, the memories of the past few hours kept creeping into his thoughts as he sat couchant in the silent darkness. With every pain created by even the slightest of movement, with each torturous breath he struggled to take, the horrific memories beat at him. They threatened to overwhelm him, challenged his hold on sanity as he struggled to come to terms with the overwhelming abuse delivered to him in such fiendish delight by his tormentors. Some of the tortures he could handle. Some violations were too much to bear. His fevered mind fled any thought of those atrocities - like a wild horse shying from a pack of hungry wolves, his mind turned to race down into the dark oblivion of unconsciousness where the void provided a small sanctuary from everything - pain, feeling, thinking. _I do not know how much more I can take . . ._

He looked up suddenly, distantly registering the whimper that escaped his lips as he sensed the approach of a strong youkai even before he heard anything. _No!_ he moaned silently. _Not again. Not yet!_

Well, if they were coming again already, Kurama decided as fear turned to anger, he was not going to meet them on his knees. Ignoring the wrenching agony flooding his body and mind, he climbed to his feet on trembling legs, willing himself upright on the strength of obstinacy alone. The room rocked crazily in his clouded vision like a tilt-a-whirl gone mad. No head appeared to shadow the light falling in through the tiny window in the door but he heard a key enter the lock. After a few seconds, it was pulled and another replaced it. _Must be Dog_, Kurama thought in disgust. _He's probably not intelligent enough - or sane enough - to know one key from another._ After a third attempt, the lock clicked and the door swung cautiously open, revealing a short figure in black, red eyes gleaming.

"Hiei!" The word escaped his torn throat in a barely audible croak as relief washed over Kurama, stealing the few threads of strength left in him with the blessed blackness that flooded over him once again.

8 8 8 8 8

Shocked, Hiei paused at the door, unprepared for the sight before him in spite of himself. Even he had never seen someone so wounded from torture. It was a wonder that Kurama was standing at all. Then, he was falling. Hiei darted in, catching his friend as he collapsed. Kurama had lost consciousness, and Hiei laid him carefully onto the floor, initial horror giving way to grim fury as he looked his partner over. _Bokuma did all this?_ he thought in disbelief. _And he couldn't even leave him the decency of his clothes? Grrrr . . . When I get my hands on - _

Hiei stopped himself. _No time for that. Deal with that later._ Now was the time for action, not reaction.

Kurama moaned and stirred, shifting to look up at him. "H-hiei . . . "

Hiei touched his fingers to Kurama's pain-whitened lips with a silent shake of his head. Bracing mentally, he had to push through thick layers of black agony to reach the other's mind. -_Shh! Don't speak. Save your strength. Besides, there might be some kind of surveillance, sound if not visual. I'm going to get you out of here. Then, we can see to your wounds._-

Kurama grimaced, Hiei's voice in his mind pounding like a sledgehammer, but he managed to nod his understanding. He passed out again as Hiei shifted his body and lifted him across his shoulders in a fireman's carry.

Hiei stole out of the cell and down the corridor, making for the secret passage. With the Jagan, he could scry and anticipate approaching guards and other dangers, ducking into empty cells or around corners when necessary. Halfway to safety, a guard rounded a corner before Hiei could find cover.

"Hey, wha - What're you up to?" the guard snapped, startled to see him.

"I'm relocating a prisoner." Hiei shifted his burden, ready to set Kurama down if needed.

"You're no guard . . . Wait a minute! I know you. You're Hiei!"

"And you're dead." In one smooth motion, Hiei dropped to one knee, slipping Kurama to the floor, and came back up with sword drawn. The guard managed to block the first strike with his own sword but Hiei was too fast. The guard lost first his sword arm, then his head, before he could register Hiei's attacks. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hiei stripped the dead guard of his pants, then reshouldered Kurama and quickened his pace.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6 Triage

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. Batsukuno, Bokuma, and Dog are the only characters I own. If you want to use them for your own fic, I probably would not mind but please ask. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 6 – Triage

Hiei managed to reach the blank rock wall without further incident. Only with the Jagan or other magical means of sight could one locate the hidden keyhole. Hiei inserted the key. He could not see but sensed the change. Still holding the key in front of him, he stepped forward, pushing through the stone like water. The tunnel within was pitch black. Pocketing the key, Hiei counted steps along the wall until his foot bumped something that fell over with a soft metallic ring, rolling slightly. He crouched, carefully balancing Kurama's weight as he retrieved the lamp, then walked on for several more yards before stopping, assuring himself that he had not been followed somehow.

He set Kurama down prone, mindful of his bloodied back, then whispered a word to the lamp. It lit itself, glowing faintly in the darkness. Hiei paused just a moment to stare at the tiny flame dancing within. The Spirit and Demon Realms had technologies that mirrored those of the Human Realm but ran on magic rather than science. He allowed himself a brief grin. _It's probably best that humans don't have magic. They're a nuisance enough on their own._

At last, Hiei could take a good look over his injured friend, outrage mounting as he realized the extent of the damage. It seemed that not an inch of flesh was not burned or bruised to some extent, the skin beginning to turn the most interesting shades of black, blue, and green. Swelling in joints and along various muscle cords suggested sprains and other trauma. Hiei quickly realized that Kurama's right shoulder was dislocated, all the fingers on the same wounded arm mangled and swollen beyond anyone's ability to even move, let alone use. Kurama's crimson hair was matted with blood from his wounded back, which had been torn to ribbons by barbed whips, exposing the muscle tissue beneath, the white of bone peeking out conspicuously from between muscle cords here and there. Hiei shook his head inwardly. _His ribcage. He's so slim to begin with . . ._ He brushed back the tangled hair from Kurama's face, tracing one of the claw gashes, assessing its depth and checking for signs of infection. Hiei snarled silently. _Bokuma will pay for this!_ He felt his throat close as something stung strangely in his eyes, causing them to water. _Dust_, he thought as he knuckled the moisture from his vision. Pulling off his cloak, he spread it on the ground and shifted Kurama's body onto it, getting him off the heat-leeching stonework. That accomplished, he sat back in dismay. He could reset the shoulder and bind the arm with his scarf but that was about it for the time being. He had been unable to get into any places where he could obtain a washrag or even clean water, let alone bandages or anything else he needed. There were simply too many guards even for his skills to get past.

A sensation from his Jagan alerted him to a presence even before he noticed the point of light far down the corridor opposite the way he had come. Muttering a curse under his breath, he extinguished the lamp and prowled down the tunnel, one hand on his sword hilt. He recognized the intruder long before he himself was detected and the identity stopped him in his tracks.

A cautious Botan inched her way down the corridor, one hand on the wall, the other cupping a sphere of pure light. Hiei recognized the technique, aware that ferry girls had several spell-like abilities they could perform with their spirit energy. He noted the psychic spyglass hung from a cord around her neck and the backpack she wore over her customary kimono. He took his hand from the hilt of his sword and let her approach.

She spotted him as soon as the light of her glow-sphere touched him. "Oh, Hiei! There you are! Wonderful! Lord Koenma said you might be in here somewhere. Have you - ?"

"How did you get in here?" he demanded.

"With a key, silly! Oh, you don't think that Lord Koenma gave you his only copy? After all, he couldn't know if you'd ever return the one he gave you. You _are_ the one who was arrested for theft, remember? Really, breaking into the Imperial Vault - a supposedly impossible task, I might add!"

"Not for Kurama," Hiei smirked.

She smiled. "Yes, well . . . speaking of Kurama, where is he?" She looked past him down the corridor and began to step around him.

Hiei caught her arm. "You shouldn't be here."

"Oh? Well, Kurama's my friend, too, and I came here to help."

"You'd help best by staying out of my way."

She crossed her arms, looking at him in mild annoyance. "You know, Hiei, you really can be rude sometimes. I do have some healing ability, remember? All ferry girls do. Pneumapathic medicine, it's called. Just your basic Western white magic, very - "

"Can you mend broken bones?" Hiei interrupted her, the harshness of his tone warning her that things were worse than she seemed to think.

The question caught her off-guard. "I - well, yes, but . . . Oh, is it really that bad?" she murmured fearfully, one hand over her mouth in shock.

Relenting, Hiei led her back down the passage to his wounded partner, relighting his lamp. He was half surprised the girl did not scream at the sight but her gasp of horror echoed down the tunnel all the same. "What . . . h-how . . . B-bokuma?" Hiei nodded. "How . . . ?" Her voice failed her and she had to try again, collecting her scattered thoughts. "How can anyone . . . be so cruel? Even Bokuma? How can he _do_ something like this?"

Hiei snorted at her. "Hmph! Welcome to reality."

"What do you mean?"

"You really don't know what goes on down here, do you?" he uttered incredulously.

"I-I . . . no." She shook her head miserably, turning back to Kurama with tears in her eyes. She knelt down beside him. "He's so . . . pale. He's sheet white - and cold." Gingerly, she pressed her fingertips into the side of his throat, feeling for a heartbeat. "It's not very strong," she fretted.

"It's strong enough," Hiei asserted stubbornly, kneeling next to her. "He's going to be fine." He paused, then looked up at her. "We can't stay here. Obviously, this passage is not very secure after all."

"Why is that?"

Hiei growled at her. "I have a key. You have a key. How many others have keys? How many know about this 'secret' passage?" Botan merely frowned, unable to argue. "I need to get his shoulder reset, then you'll help me carry him."

"Where?" When Hiei did not respond right away, Botan gasped in sudden inspiration. "I know! We'll take him to Master Genkai's."

"Who?"

"Master Genkai. Oh, don't tell me you've never heard of her! She's a powerful human psychic and a stellar fighter. Yusuke trained under her for six months, right before you all went to Maze Castle as a matter of fact."

Hiei glared at her. "What? _That_ Master Genkai? The demon hunter? Not a chance. She'd as soon kill the both of us than help - "

Botan huffed at him in irritation. "No, no, no! You've got it all wrong. She's not a demon hunter. She just happens to have a reputation for being one because she's had to fight so many youkai in her life and she happens to be very good at it! It's not that she goes out of her way to find them or anything. Really, she just wants to be left alone, only there are a lot of people - mostly youkai - who want the secret of her powerful Spirit Wave technique. Anyway, I've already talked to her and she said we might have to bring him to her, depending on how badly hurt he was." Hiei was less than convinced. She frowned. "Unless you have a better suggestion - ?"

Hiei only growled. No, he did not.

Botan nodded, satisfied. "Right. Now, first, we need to clean those wounds."

"With what?" Hiei muttered irritably, indicating the empty corridor.

Botan slipped off her backpack with a flourish. "Well, it just so happens that I brought a care package - from Master Genkai herself, no less. A good detective's assistant always comes prepared."

"Yusuke's not here," Hiei pointed out.

"Yes, I know but you're a detective, too - _still_ a detective, in my book - and right now, you're the one I'm assisting, like it or not," she added with a sassy grin.

Hiei did not bother to respond, only rolled his eyes at her before turning to the contents of the backpack.

"B-bo . . . tan . . . ?"

"Oh! Hiei, he's awake."

8 8 8 8 8

Botan could not be sure if she were glad he was conscious . . . or sorry.

As Kurama tried to shift so he could see her, she gently brushed the hair from his face and leaned over him to make it easier. She tried not to react visibly to the sight. His left eye was swollen shut, dried blood from the gashes further sealing it. "Yes, Kurama, it's me. Y-you're going to be all right. Just relax. It's okay. You're safe." Tears of empathy springing into her eyes, she petted at the top of his head in reassurance, thinking it was probably the only place he was uninjured.

"W-where's Hiei?"

"Here." Hiei had pulled several items from the backpack and was sorting through them - a large flask, a bowl, rags and bandages, a bottle of strong painkillers, and splints of various sizes and shapes.

Botan brushed the wetness from her eyelashes and looked over at the pile, maintaining her chipper mood if only for Kurama's sake. "Master Genkai said that should be enough to start with. She's a better healer than I am, even healed a broken arm and shattered ribs on Kuwabara once - I don't imagine he would have lived without her help, in fact. Once we get Kurama to her, she can take care of the rest."

Hiei handed her a rag. "Give him this to bite on. Kurama, your right shoulder is dislocated. I'm going to reset it." He took the arm in both hands and set a foot gingerly into Kurama's ribs as Kurama accepted the rag from Botan. "This will hurt. Prepare yourself." With that, he slowly pulled until he heard a loud _snap_ as the ball popped back into the socket. With a muffled cry, Kurama lost consciousness again. Botan felt the color drain from her face but she willed herself to be strong for her friend's sake. "Before I bind his arm, his back needs to be cleaned." He searched the bag again, then uncorked the flask and sniffed, noting the varied scents of an infusion. "Hn. Nothing to heat the water. What's in this?"

Botan shrugged. "Herbs to heal and prevent infection, I suppose. As for heating it," she added with a wink, "just pour it into the bowl and let me take care of the rest." Hiei did so and Botan touched her fingers to the rim, the tips glowing with Reiki. After several seconds of concentration, steam rose from the water. Hiei nodded his approval. Botan watched as he wrung out a rag and began to soak and clean the whipwounds, working with a gentle care she never would have guessed of him. He then applied a salve from a small jar he pulled from a pocket. Botan smiled. "Lord Koenma told me that he gave you one of Medusa's ointments."

Kurama came to again as Hiei spread the salve, holding himself as still as he could manage, hissing in pain. Per Hiei's direction, Botan helped Kurama to turn over and sit up, letting him lean back into her as Hiei threw the edge of the cloak up over his lap to cover him. Hiei then bound Kurama's arm against his chest, straightening the broken hand into a splint. "The muscles are strained," Hiei explained, his voice softer than usual. He seemed consciously to avoid Kurama's eye as he knotted the bandages. "They need to be immobilized so they don't come out of position as they heal."

Kurama nodded slightly, vertigo obviously still a companion. With a very small grin through the swelling, he commented softly, his voice a rough whisper, "Thank you, Hiei. I have to say - I have never been happier to see you, my friend." Hiei paused, then grunted in acknowledgment.

Botan glanced at Hiei, observing his reaction, and smiled secretly to herself. Even without Kurama's confirmation, she knew they were close friends. She also knew better than to comment, at least in front of Hiei. She refrained from commenting, too, on the rose she noticed tucked behind Hiei's ear, assuming it was meant for Kurama. She took up the rag from the washbowl and squeezed it out one-handed, her other arm around Kurama's lacerated shoulders. Blood and ointment soaked into her kimono but she did not care. She cleaned his face, then set the rag down and gingerly placed her palm against his cheek and brow, closing her eyes in concentration. Reiki glowed from her hand, slowly closing the gashes, the swollen redness receding. Color returned to his lips and the rest of his face as her healing began to spread. He opened both his eyes and twisted carefully to look at her in appreciation. She moved her hand to his, then grimaced. The glow of Reiki brightened steadily for a moment, then faded completely. She opened her eyes with a shake of her head. "I-I'm sorry," she murmured, a tear slipping down her cheek. "There's . . . too much. My poor ability i-isn't enough . . . " She trailed off, closing her eyes again as more tears fell.

8 8 8 8 8

Hiei cleared his throat, which had closed on him again. "Botan, keep your eyes shut. Here, put this on." He helped Kurama into the pants he had taken from the guard, wrapping his cloak around Kurama's shoulders. "Botan, can you carry him on your oar? You can open your eyes now." She looked at him and nodded somberly. "Then we need to move. We've been here too long already." He repacked the backpack and tied his bandana in place over the Jagan.

Botan stood and summoned her oar but they found that there was no comfortable way for her to hold Kurama in front of her and he was still too weak to support himself. Hiei climbed aboard behind her and they put Kurama between them. He reached around Kurama to grip the sides of Botan's kimono, helping to hold his friend in place. He did not like the idea of leaving their escape to the flighty ferry girl but saw no other way. He could carry Kurama himself but then could not fight if needed. Botan could simply fly over any obstacles they encountered.

Botan glided to the end of the corridor and pulled out her key but stopped when Kurama, struggling to maintain consciousness, pointed out that the dampening field preventing magical or dimensional travel through the prison might have ended somewhere back behind them. Before Botan could react, Hiei held out his hand, activating his periphery key. When a portal manifested in front of them, they all breathed sighs of relief. They had no idea where they would end up, nor even in which realm, but they would not have to deal with the guards combing the main fortress looking for them. Botan sailed quickly through and all three were glad to see a human city spread out before them under a star-filled sky.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7 Friends, Brothers

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. Batsukuno, Bokuma, and Dog are the only characters I own. If you want to use them for your own fic, I probably would not mind but please ask. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 7 – Friends, Brothers

Trees rustled in a gentle wind, and moonlight spilled into a quiet room. The soft silver-blue light dimmed and brightened as gliding clouds created an interesting pattern across the ancient wooden floors. The night was waning, and soon the coming dawn would illuminate the room with a warm, golden hue.

Hiei stared at his sleeping partner, laying on the futon before him. He had long since given up attempts at meditating, his mind too distracted with a whirlwind of thoughts and images every time he tried. He glanced around the simple, unadorned room - one of many in the weathered mountain complex to which Botan had taken them. Hiei could hardly believe the woman who lived here was human. She was head-and-shoulders shorter than he, looked like a prune - and yet had a sense of power about her that Hiei had never felt before in a human, far greater even than Yusuke's. Her Reiki was enough to give any sensitive a migraine if he concentrated on it for too long. Botan had introduced her as the renowned Genkai.

The old woman had him and Botan lay Kurama down there in the courtyard, then looked Kurama over with a knowledgeable eye that seemed equal to that of a skilled physician. She had spread her hands over him and a massive amount of Reiki erupted from her into Kurama's body, spreading powerful healing energy throughout. Hiei could see the relief in Kurama's eyes as the pain receded. "That will speed up the healing process," she had told Kurama, "but you'll still need time to rest. You'll be a day or two before you're fully recovered." Botan had assisted Hiei in getting Kurama to the small bathhouse, where they found a clean kimono and sandals already waiting. Botan then withdrew while Hiei helped his friend to bathe. Genkai had left to prepare a nourishing drink, understanding that Kurama's stomach would not tolerate much just yet. Then, they settled Kurama into this room to sleep. Hiei had insisted on sitting watch over him. Neither Genkai nor Botan had argued.

He leaned forward, checking the bandages for the fourth or fifth time - or was it eighth? Eighteenth? He growled at himself as his throat closed on him yet again, his vision wavering. Both curious and annoyed, he put his hand to his face, surprised at the moisture on his fingertips. _Dammit! Kurama, you fool! What were you thinking?_ Kurama's words echoed back to him from what seemed ages ago - _"One of us must to escape to find out what's going on. You're much faster than I am. Go!_ . . . _Hiei, you know that I am right! Hurry!_"

Hiei fidgeted with the ties of the bandages, then startled at a tiny stone that fell to the blanket. It was the size of his little finger, perfectly round, and gleamed a magnificent red-black. _What the . . . ? A Hirui stone?_ He rolled it between his fingers, wondering at the tiny creation. He had never had reason for tears before - not that he was surrendering to the experience now! He shook his head in anger, clutching the gem in his fist. _Kurama . . . ! Why did you do it?_

While waiting for Kurama to be returned to his cell, Hiei had found a guard who had been party to the arrest and searched his memory for information using the Jagan. He had found Batsukuno's words - surprised that, even now, they still stung.

_"So our little fire apparition shows his true merit, after all. So much for the thief's good judgment."_

_ "Whatever is going on, Hiei will get to the bottom of it."_

_ "Hiei is the bottom of it! Don't be blind. You're too intelligent for that. He's a fire apparition and an assassin to boot. Even you can deny neither his temper nor his training."_

He had not denied them, but neither did Kurama falter in the faith he had in his partner, his friend.

_"Don't think that I have been unaware of your crimes. That past has now caught up to you, 'Silver Fox'. Your new sentence begins now . . . Youko Kurama, you will serve out the remainder of your time in the Pit - should you live that long."_

Hiei remembered the look in Kurama's eyes, weeks ago now, when he had only been threatened with the Pit depending upon Hiei's decision. _What went through your mind when he said that?_ Hiei wondered. The guard had not seen any reaction from Kurama, but Hiei knew better. _You had to have known that you would be given over to Bokuma, that you might not even last the night! You were trying to protect me - but at what cost? And why?_ Another red-black stone fell to Kurama's blanket as Hiei's fists balled up in its folds, shaking almost imperceptibly.

He did not turn when the door slid open. Even with the bandana in place over his closed Jagan, he knew who it was, the powerful Reiki an unmistakable give-away.

"You won't be any good to him if you're exhausted. I suggest you get some sleep. I'll look after him until morning if you're worried about his condition." Genkai's voice softened when he did not respond. "He's going to be fine, Hiei."

Hiei palmed the two stones and passed a quick hand across his face as he stood, wiping away any trace of the embarrassing tears before turning to meet her eyes. "Of course, he is. You healed him, didn't you? Kurama's stronger than you think, old woman."

Genkai crossed her arms, shaking her head at him. "You're as bullheaded as my pupil, Yusuke. Just like him, in fact - down to the defensive insults."

"What're you getting at?" Hiei glowered at her, not sure he liked what she was saying.

"I know your type, Hiei. You try to put up a wall between yourself and anything you consider a weakness - especially your own emotions." She paused, looking down at Kurama. "He means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

"He's my partner, as Spirit Detective," Hiei scowled, suddenly feeling defensive.

She glared at him. "Don't give me that crap! I've been told all about you two. No one faces torture and death for a mere partner. Would you? Tell me, Hiei, would you have made the same choice?"

Hiei did not answer but could no longer meet her gaze, either. He looked away and found his eyes wander back to Kurama.

Genkai nodded knowingly. "That should have been you to begin with." It was not an accusation, merely putting to voice what she knew him to be thinking. Hiei closed his eyes, fists clenching. "You've been accused of a crime you didn't commit, and your brother is the one who paid the price."

"My what?" Hiei startled, turning to look at her again. Then anger welled up, covering anything else that might have begun to surface. "I don't have any family," he hissed, feeling a sense of resentment that surprised him.

"You're even more of a bonehead than my student!" Genkai marveled. "First of all, I don't know about parents, but I can tell you that you have a twin sister, an Ice Maiden named Yukina. Like I said, I know all about you, especially since you stand accused of murdering her human jailer. I can understand your decision to distance yourself from your sister. You're trying to protect her - from your reputation, your enemies, maybe even yourself." Before Hiei could comment, she held up a hand. "Don't argue with me. Your reasons are your own. What I'm saying is that family is not just by blood. Family is someone knowing you and caring for you in spite of your strengths or your faults. I told Yusuke once that he has to care about something with all his heart rather than living his life half-assed like he's used to doing." She caught his eye with such an intensity that he could not look away. "What do you care about, Hiei? What's making you sit up all night? What made you sneak into that prison, knowing what would happen if you were caught? Is this half-breed 'just' your partner? . . . I touched his heart when I was healing him earlier. You might ask him his definition of 'family' sometime." She nodded curtly, a wry grin tugging at her lips. "Some stuff to think over." She turned and slid the door closed behind her.

Hiei stared after her for a long moment, not sure what to think. Then one word caught his attention, bringing to mind what Batsukuno had once told him - _"Turn your back on this unnecessary half-breed riff-raff."_

_He's NOT unnecessary_, Hiei growled silently. _He's . . . he's my friend._ He remembered his anger and concern when Kurama had collapsed behind him under Batsukuno's agony-inducing influence and his fury at Kurama's treatment when he was taken from his cell before their retrial. It was a blind rage that had gripped Hiei when Kurama hit his cell door, backhanded out of his senses. In Maze Castle, Hiei had put up a front of total focus, of pushing forward, when in reality a portion of his attention was behind, to Kurama who had a front of his own that he was all right when he was not. In front of the humans - _in front of Yusuke and Kuwabara_, he corrected himself, using their names rather than a stereotype. In front of Yusuke and Kuwabara, he would show no weakness and now part of him regretted not offering an arm of support that he knew his friend could have used.

To Yukina, he had identified himself as being a friend of theirs, of Yusuke's and Kuwabara's. He was a member of the team, the three of them - four counting Kurama whom he had not yet known was present as well. Yes, the two humans were his friends, as ludicrous as that still sounded to the part of him which stated that he could not trust anyone, let alone a worthless human. He had learned that he could trust and count on them both in times of crisis, even Kuwabara. Hiei realized, in that moment, that Kurama was something even more to him. _But if not "friend," what is he?_ he wondered as he unfolded his fist, staring at the exquisite gems in his palm.

Kurama stirred just then, murmuring in his sleep, his brow furrowed in distress. Hiei knelt once more by his side and, after a moment's hesitation, set a reassuring hand on his shoulder. With a gasp, Kurama startled awake, eyes dilated as he stared around the room, his gaze quickly finding Hiei. Instinctively, he shrank away from the perceived threat so close to him, not recognizing his partner as his sleep-fogged mind struggled to comprehend what was happening to him yet again. Hiei was surprised by the sensation of hurt he felt at Kurama's defensive reaction. Dismayed, he took note in annoyance as his throat closed yet again, his vision blurring. "K-kurama," he murmured uncertainly. "It's - it's all right. You're safe. Go back to sleep." Slowly, comprehension dawned in Kurama's sleep-drugged gaze. He reached out his hand and placed it over Hiei's, giving it a squeeze as a small smile came to his exhausted face. Still holding the hand that comforted him, Kurama closed his eyes once again, his head rolling slightly to one side as he drifted back into unconsciousness.

Hiei carefully stole his hand from under Kurama's and sat back, fiercely fighting back the damning tears as two more stones fell. He thought he recognized the feeling he was experiencing, a sense of protectiveness like he had only ever known for one other - his sister, Yukina. It was a sensation he had been experiencing ever since learning of Kurama's fate from Koenma. _Why, Kurama? Why did you do this? You should never have taken such punishment! This was not yours. You should never - Dammit!_ He wiped angrily at the tears.

"N-no," Kurama murmured restlessly in his sleep, almost whimpering, as the nightmares began to reassert themselves. "Please . . . "

Hiei reached out again and lightly touched his shoulder, stealthily slipping his hand back under Kurama's. "No one will hurt you while I am here, Kurama. I swear it! You're safe." Even asleep, Hiei knew that Kurama would recognize his voice. Reassured, Kurama settled down, his breathing deepening in true sleep. Hiei kept his hand in place this time. He shook his head inwardly. _You've never suffered anything like this, have you? You've led a relatively sheltered life as the human Shuichi. That woman - your mother - made sure of that. Even as a youko, you never experienced brutality like this._

_ And you never should have._

Genkai's words came back to him unbidden. _"He means a lot to you, doesn't he? . . . No one faces torture and death for a mere partner . . . Family is someone knowing you and caring for you in spite of your strengths or your faults . . . What do you care about, Hiei?"_

_What . . . do I care about?_

_ Kurama, you've taught me a lot - about caring, about grace, about friendship . . . about trust._ Kurama had saved him twice now, risking himself to do so, trusting that Hiei would respond in kind. Hiei had not known him as a full youkai but had heard enough stories of the infamous youko thief. Having spent the years he had as a human had apparently changed him. No longer a hardened cutthroat, Kurama had learned compassion and trust to a level Hiei never had - until now. Kurama cared for his human mother enough to die for her and nearly did once. Hiei had never understood Kurama's actions, but perhaps he was beginning to see. _Before her, you had no family at all, did you? You have accepted her. I've seen you play with that kid, too. He calls you 'brother' and you respond._

_"You might ask him his definition of family sometime . . . Family is not just by blood."_

_What do you call me? Partner? Friend? . . . _

_ . . . Brother?_

Hiei did not know what is was to have a brother, but in that moment he knew whom he would choose if given the occasion. _Is that it, Kurama? Is that why?_

Tears fell anew, but these were different. A small, genuine smile touched Hiei's lips as he stared at his companion, sleeping peacefully now, comforted by the hand on his shoulder that kept the nightmares at bay. _Peace, Kurama. I'm with you . . . _

_ . . . My brother._

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8 Alarm

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 8 - Alarm

Yusuke grumbled from the kitchen at the ringing telephone, noting that his mother was too far unconscious for it to wake her even though she was lying nearly on top of it, curled up over the arm of the couch and onto the end table as she was. Idly, he wondered what time she had finally rolled in, heavily intoxicated and only half conscious. It amazed him every morning to find her home and not in jail somewhere - or a hospital.

Atsuko murmured and shifted, settling back down, as Yusuke pulled the telephone free of her arm and lifted the handset to his ear. "Hello?"

"Yes, hello. Is this the Urameshi residence?"

The woman's voice sounded vaguely familiar but it was the thick worry in her tone that struck him the most. "Yeah."

"May I speak to Urameshi Yusuke, please?"

"Y'got him. What's up?"

"I'm so sorry to bother you and so terribly early in the morning. My name is Minamino Shiori. I understand that you are a friend of my son, Shuichi?"

_She means Kurama_, Yusuke thought. Shuichi was the name by which he was known to the humans around him who were unaware of his half-youkai nature. Only partially awake himself this early in the morning, he startled to full consciousness as he realized that he was talking to Kurama's mother. She had never called before and from the sound of her voice something was very wrong. "Yeah, we, ah . . . hang out from time to time." Being a year older - not to mention a much better student - Kurama went to a different school than he did. He could not tell her that he knew her son because they chased supernatural creatures together on occasion. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, I don't know. I was hoping maybe you could tell me where he is. He never came home last night."

Yusuke startled at that. Kurama and Hiei were going to check in with Koenma after leaving his place yesterday, then Kurama had specifically told Yusuke that he would be going home. _Kurama's not one to just disappear without at least telling his mom something to keep her from worrying._ Yusuke knew that Kurama was concerned about her and, as much as he hated lying, Kurama always made sure to tell her something, no matter how far from the truth. "Ah, no. Sorry. I'll let you know if I find out anything, though. What's your number?"

Mrs. Minamino expressed her heartfelt thanks as he dug up a pencil and a scrap of paper. Taking her phone number, he shoved the scrap into his jeans pocket. It was the only way he knew he would not lose it - not that his mother would throw it away by accident or anything. Gods forbid that she should ever actually pick up around the house. He no sooner hung up the phone than loud banging started at the door. _Now what?_ he groused silently.

"Urameshi? Hey, Urameshi, you home?"

_Kuwabara?_ Yusuke thought. First, Kurama's mom, now Kuwabara, the big dope who usually slept in until noon on a weekend. _All right - now I know something's up._ "Yeah, yeah! I'm comin'!"

Kuwabara nearly took the door off its hinges as Yusuke unlocked and began to open it. "Damn, Kuwabara! You look like you haven't slept in a week. Stay up all night thinking about Yukina?"

To Yusuke's surprise, Kuwabara waved off the jab. "Urameshi, you heard anything from Kurama?"

"What? You, too?"

"Whaddya mean, me too?"

"Well, I just got off the phone with his mom. He didn't go home last night." Yusuke shrugged. "Probably got side-tracked by some girls wanting homework help - or his phone number," he added with a laugh. "Or maybe him and Hiei got put on another assignment or something. They _were_ gonna go see Sucker-Face when they left here yesterday."

"This isn't funny, Urameshi! Somethin's happened . . . somethin' bad."

Yusuke looked again at Kuwabara. "What's got you so upset? Hell, if something's happened, don't you think Botan would have - "

He stopped when Kuwabara gasped at something behind him. He jumped when a hand gripped his shoulder. "_Yusuke, something terrible's happened! Kurama - _"

Yusuke spun around on his heel, slapping her hand away. "Dammit, Botan! Don't sneak up on me like that! You about gave me a freakin' heart attack. Do you _want_ me to die again?"

Botan was shaking her head. "Never mind that. We have to get back to Tarukane's."

Kuwabara was nodding. "Yeah, I was thinkin' the same thing."

"Why? What's at Tarukane's except a rich guy and his lackeys - and two dead guys in the fighting arena," he added with a wink at Kuwabara. Kuwabara only winced, still hurting from yesterday's brutal fight.

"More than 'two dead guys'," Botan corrected. "A whole bunch of dead guys! Tarukane, his staff, all of them are dead - and everyone in the Spirit Realm thinks Hiei did it!"

"What? No way. That's ridiculous!"

"Huh?" Kuwabara startled at the same time. "But . . . dincha say somethin' about a severe punishment if Hiei ever killed a human?"

She nodded. "Not just Hiei. It's true of any youkai."

"So what's this got to do with Kurama?" Yusuke wanted to know, glancing back and forth between the two.

Botan huffed at him in sudden irritation. "Yusuke, you can be the densest - ! Oh, never mind. Kurama and Hiei are partners under Spirit Realm's justice system. Anything that affects one affects them both. Anyway, they'll be heading over to Tarukane's once - um . . . I mean, soon . . . to find out what really happened."

Yusuke did not miss the deep, uncharacteristic concern in her voice and her face. He gazed at her silently for a moment, finally asking in a soft voice, "Botan, what's going on? Are Kurama and Hiei all right?"

"Y-yes," she hedged, wringing her hands. "They . . . they're with Master Genkai right now. They'll be leaving for Tarukane's . . . later this morning. They'll meet you there." Before Yusuke could question her, she stepped back, holding out her hand. "I have to go now. It's going to take you guys a couple of hours to get there, so you'd better hurry. I'll see you there!" she told them hastily as her oar materialized. With that, she disappeared.

Yusuke huffed. "Well, you heard the lady. Let's get going. I just hope I have enough for the bus." He started rummaging for Atsuko's wallet.

Kuwabara shook his head. "Don't worry about the bus. My sister's driving. She doesn't work on Sundays so she's offered to take us."

"Your sister?" Yusuke gaped. "Shizuru?"

"Duh! She's sensitive, too, remember? Come on. We're wasting time. She's waitin' for us in the car down on the street."

"Hold the phone! Whaddya mean, 'she's sensitive, too'?"

"I had a couple of dreams last night, Urameshi - nightmares. They were about Kurama and they woke her up, too. C'mon, already! Shizuru's waitin'." Kuwabara barely gave Yusuke the chance to lock the door behind them before hauling him down the stairwell and onto the street. They were starting for Shizuru's car when a female voice stopped them both cold.

"Yusuke!" Yusuke froze as Keiko hurried down the sidewalk to intercept the pair. "And where do you think you're going _this time_?"

"Oh! Uh, heh-heh. Hi, Keiko," Kuwabara waved sheepishly. "What're you doin' here?"

"Meeting Yusuke for our date - or did you forget already?" she huffed, turning on her boyfriend.

Yusuke scratched at the back of his head. "Um, yeah . . . park . . . feed the ducks, watch the sunrise over the mountains. That's why I'm up this friggin' early to begin with," he grumbled under his breath. "Listen, Keiko. Something's kinda come up - "

"Hey, princess! Wanna come along for the ride?" Shizuru called through the car window.

Keiko startled. "Oh! Shizuru, I didn't see you there."

"Huh? You two know each other?" Yusuke queried.

"Yeah," Kuwabara nodded. "When that pyro torched your last apartment, Keiko's hair got singed when we pulled your body out."

Keiko blushed. "Kuwabara took me back to his place. Shizuru's the one who gave me the new hairstyle and she loaned me some clothes." She looked between the three of them. "So, what's going on?"

"Some friends of ours are in trouble. Me an' Urameshi're goin' out to the mountains to help out. Shizu's drivin' us."

"'Friends in trouble,' huh?" Keiko looked at them skeptically, having heard that story before but, this time, Yusuke knew she _had_ to be able to see the truth of it in their eyes. "Well, okay - but I'm coming, too."

"No! Um - I mean, that wouldn't be a good idea," Yusuke stammered. "It could be dangerous."

Keiko rolled her eyes at him. "Come on, Yusuke! You always say that. Does this have to do with that detective agency again? You're only an apprentice. It can't be _that_ dangerous - "

To her surprise - and Yusuke's relief - Shizuru spoke up again just then. "Hey, kiddo, tell ya what - we'll drop off the boys, then you and me can go do some shopping until Kazuma calls to be picked up. You _do_ remember my new cell number, right, little bro?"

Now it was Kuwabara's turn to roll his eyes in irritation. "Sis, do ya hafta embarrass me in front of my friends like that?"

"I could just let you walk."

"No, no!" Yusuke gasped, pushing Keiko and Kuwabara into the car. "We'll remember. Let's just get going, okay?"

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Genkai stood on the porch of her shrine, a mug of steaming oolong tea cupped in both gnarled hands. She stared out over the mountains of her home, appreciatively watching the sun stretch its first rays through the mountain pass. _So, morning has come without further incident, hm?_ she thought tiredly. _Well, it won't hurt to leave the safeguards in place for a few more hours, at least._

It had been a long night. After sending Botan on her way with the pack of first aid supplies, Genkai had turned her attention to preparations for the two arriving refugees - and any possible pursuers. First order of business had been to purify herself and the grounds in general, then the room that her patient was to occupy. She knew the tumultuous energies that he would likely be carrying with him and made sure that the room was cleansed of any negative energies of its own. He would need that space of peace and safety within which to deal with the demons of his psyche. Such troubled energies were all but inevitable after an experience such as the boy had suffered. She had set clean linens and clothing in the bathhouse and checked that she had the supplies for healing drinks and salves, as well as extra food for his companion. Then she had turned her attentions to the complex's defenses. Mystical wards and alarms covered the grounds, both obvious and unseen. She had made the entire grounds of her complex into a magical "null zone" - impossible for outside forces to scry or listen in by any means. Any being of evil intent, be it youkai or human, who tried to cross her boundaries were in for a variety of surprises as well.

She sensed Botan's arrival before the ferry girl made herself visible to the living. She frowned in concern. Botan looked exhausted.

"Yusuke and Kuwabara are on their way to Tarukane's," Botan reported quietly, dispelling her oar.

Genkai nodded. "What about you?"

"Huh? Oh, um . . . n-no, I'm fine." She pulled herself up a little straighter and managed a smile.

Genkai shook her head fondly. She'd known the ferry girl too long to be fooled. "Nonsense. You haven't slept all night. You need to recover Reiki. Come on. You can settle down in my room for a while."

"But . . . what about Kurama and Hiei?"

Genkai turned her eyes to the guesthouse. "Kurama has not yet awakened and Hiei finally nodded off about an hour ago."

"Oh, good," Botan murmured before a yawn overtook her. Without further resistance, Genkai led her into the shrine.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	9. Chapter 9 Hirui

Author's Note: December 9, 2007 – For those who may have read this once already and are excited to see "new chapters" being posted, my apologies. Please read the new note at the beginning of Chapter 1, as well as my updated bio page. Basically, I've been going through a process of restructuring my stories, including shorter chapters, which consequently means _more_ chapters, hence the almost twenty "new" chapters to this completed fic. An explanation of what chapters the reviews match to that dated before today are in that note as well. Thank you for your understanding. ((grin!))

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 9 - Hirui

Pain. His mind was flooded with it, his body on fire with pain. His entire world had been reduced to pain and darkness, unable to open his eyes no matter how hard he fought. The salty-sweet taste of blood lingered in his mouth. Sweat slid down his fevered face as he hung from the chains, dripping onto his chest, burning like acid into his torn flesh. His arms had all but lost feeling completely. Iron manacles dug into his lacerated wrists, blood trickling down one arm from his mangled hand. Discomfort filled the left side of his face. He knew it was the claw gashes. He wondered if he would ever see out of that eye again. Heat from a fire somewhere close washed over him, adding to his torment. The scents of blood, sweat, and fear swam around him on the stale air in fiendishly playful eddies. His throat, already raw and close to swelling shut, struggled to bring life-giving air into his laboring lungs, which only served to send the muscles around his broken ribs into spasms of pain. He felt like he was suffocating. He could not breathe.

He could not breathe!

Panic began to set in. No! He forced himself to calm down. If he were calm, he could breathe. With extreme effort, he focused all of his attention on breathing slowly in and out, trying to block out the agony in his ribs and whiplashed back with the movements.

He became aware of the breathing of another, someone very close. He suppressed a whimper, knowing who it was. He could not decide which was worse: the physical agony of the tortures or the mental anguish of waiting, taunted with the promise of more pain, never knowing when it would begin again - or where. He had been burned, beaten, whipped, and violated in ways his mind fled from recalling.

_"And this one is going where I should have sent him in the first place. Don't think that I have been unaware of your crimes. That past has now caught up to you, 'Silver Fox'."_

_No more than I deserve, then? There is no escaping the past. One can only hope to atone for it. But once it has caught up to you, once the price begins to be paid . . . is there no end to the punishment? This horrific - _

_"Youko Kurama, you will serve out the remainder of your time in the Pit - should you live that long."_

_ I am indeed going to die down here . . ._

Slowly, he became aware that the red-tinged blackness was lightening. Had they moved the fire closer? Was someone approaching with another white-hot poker? The heat on his face grew steadily.

Not far away, he heard something crunching, like shoes over rough gravel. He tried to block out the noise as he was forcibly reminded of the sound of his own bones crunching, the knuckles of his hand shattering one by one under his torturer's tools.

Wood creaked and groaned. It might be the beam from which he hung. It might be one of the terrible instruments around him - a bed binding one down and stretching the limbs or burning the feet, a sharp pyramid for digging into body parts in pressure torture, a chair covered in spikes, or any of a myriad of other vile equipment. Distantly, he could hear the sharp, ever-present cracking of whips and the cries of the tortured, like voices straight from the depths of Hell itself. Some of the cries were his own.

A smell struck him just then, so out of place it was absurd. He was reminded of his mother's breakfasts before she left for work in the mornings and he for school. _Mom . . ._ Shiori's face swam before him for just an instant as tears came to his sealed eyes with an overwhelming sensation of deep, miserable grief.

He was jarred out of his despair in a panic as a sudden light struck him, blindingly brilliant even with his good eye closed. _The pokers! Will they take my remaining sight, then?_

_ Or have I died? The white light of death! NO!_

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"_N-noo!_"

Kurama awoke with a start, sweat-soaked, his heart pounding wildly under his splinted hand. The tension of his body burned in the wounded muscles of his shoulder and back. He lay facing a window, the rim of the morning sun just creeping up past the mountains to throw a ray of light into his eyes. _The white light . . ._ The discomfort of his face was from laying on his blanket, sweat causing his skin to imprint with the creases of the cloth.

He forced himself to relax, taking stock of his situation. He was lying supine and he was warm. The last he remembered was laying prone, shivering with cold and in a mind-numbing amount of pain. He still hurt but not nearly as much as he had before. He recalled that he had been alone, then with company. _Bokuma? Dog!_ he thought with a gasp. No. They had not been threatening. They had hurt him but for his own good. _I remember now - Hiei and Botan. And . . ._ There was another, later, but he could not remember her name. She was an old woman, powerful in Reiki. _Who was she?_

His eyes adjusting to the warm glow of sunlight, he looked slowly around the small, welcoming room in which he found himself. _Where . . . where am I?_ He did not realize he had spoken the question aloud but a familiar voice responded.

"Safe."

Kurama carefully turned his head, the room blurring slightly with the motion. Hiei sat against the wall next to him, one eye open as though he himself had just awakened. He was surprised at the strength of his own relief at seeing his friend. "Thank the gods. Hiei - "

"Shh." Hiei leaned forward, looking him over. "How do you feel?"

Kurama gave him a wan smile. "Like I've been to Hell and back." His voice was still rough and whispery from the abuse to his throat.

Hiei nodded with a grimace. "You have." He pulled himself to his feet. "Just rest. I'll be back." With that, he slid the door open, sliding in a tray of food left on the wood-plank walkway outside before closing the door behind him. Kurama glimpsed a large courtyard with a traditional stone lamp sculpture just in view, a rise like the slope of a hill or mountain beyond the outer wall. The ground of the courtyard was covered in gravel. _The crunching noise I heard?_

He started to roll to his side, intending to sit up, but something like a small marble under his shoulder caught his attention, especially since he was suddenly aware of it as a source of Yoki as well. He shifted sideways before working himself one-armed into a sitting position, gritting his teeth in pain, then pulled a red-black pebble from under the edge of the blanket. _What's this?_ Kurama gasped in realization. _A Hirui stone? Hiei . . . ?_ It was the only logical explanation. He smiled to himself, recalling just then one comment he had made in the darkness of a tunnel of some kind._ "Thank you, Hiei. I have to say - I have never been happier to see you, my friend."_ Hiei had given no more of a response than Kurama had expected but he knew the youkai's heart. Hiei would not admit to anything in front of others, not even Kurama. However . . . _Did you sit watch all night, Hiei? Hm. I am in your debt._ Kurama palmed the evidence of his best friend's concern as the door slid open once again.

Hiei entered, followed by the old woman from last night. She looked at him with a smile, her stature so short that she was nearly eye-level with him. "How's my patient this morning?"

"Feeling like I was run over by a Bullet train," he whispered with a grin. "Are you the master of this place?"

She nodded. "My name is Genkai. You were brought you to me very early this morning. Do you remember?"

"Only vaguely. I'm afraid I was not in any shape to recall much of the past several hours."

She grunted at that. "Probably best if you don't. You're lucky to be alive. Here, drink this." She handed him a mug of something warm and off-white in color, chuckling. "Yeah, I know. It tastes terrible but you need the protein."

Kurama had not been aware of making a face but recalled choking down a mug of the stuff last night. "Please forgive me. I do not mean to be rude." He forced down the drink, taking it in a single pull. It hit his stomach, thick and unsettled, but seemed that it would stay there. Handing the mug back, he looked at her in appreciation. "Thank you for your help. How can we repay you?"

"Don't mention it. You're friends of my student, Yusuke, and you serve Koenma," she commented, then gave a wicked grin. "The runt can pay the next time I see him."

Kurama startled at that. "You know Koenma?"

"Have for a long time," she chuckled. "Too long."

Her other comment caught up to him just then. "Wait - _'Master'_ Genkai? You are the human psychic who perfected the Spirit Wave technique and trained Yusuke."

"Glad you've heard of me, too . . . Youko Kurama." She grinned at his astonished expression. "When you're up to it, the bathhouse is the building next to this one." She pointed to her right, then looked at Hiei. "Botan should be up by the time you two finish breakfast. Be sure he drinks enough." To Kurama, she commented, "I don't know how much you'll actually keep down but none of this should upset your stomach."

"Botan?" Hiei asked. "I thought she was going to play fetch to Yusuke and Kuwabara."

"She did. She got back a few minutes ago. She didn't sleep all night so she's getting her rest now. She requires much less than a human or even a youkai but she still has to recover Reiki."

"Yusuke and Kuwabara?" Kurama murmured with a frown. "They do not need to be dragged into this mess."

Hiei nodded, his arms folded in annoyance. "I agree. It's none of their concern - "

"But they would find out sooner or later," Genkai interrupted, the tones in both their voices sounding like they were continuing an existing argument. "They will make it their concern. Hiei, do not discount the strength of friendship." She grinned. "Even if it's from a mere human - and neither of those two are normal humans. You will be glad for their help."

"Hmph. We'll see."

Genkai shook her head at him, then turned once again to Kurama. "Yusuke and Kuwabara are on their way to Tarukane's. Hiei will be joining them. I suggest you stay here and rest. Of course - " Her eyes twinkled with understanding " - I cannot force you. If you need anything, just call. I'll send Botan in when she's awake." With that, she left, leaving the door open so the fresh breeze could slip through the room. Kurama was glad for the bright openness of the outdoors after the dungeon cell and - He suppressed a shudder, refusing to go there.

Hiei dropped to the floor cross-legged, pulling the tray over to position between them. He poured a warm, amber-colored liquid from a teapot, handing the cup to Kurama. "Honey water. It'll help your throat. Don't drink it too fast." Kurama accepted the cup with a nod of thanks as Hiei broke a riceball for them to share.

Hiei watched his friend for a long moment in silence. "Kurama," he murmured at length, his voice thick. Kurama paused and looked up at him. Hiei hesitated, then closed his eyes, his expression an uncustomary mix of anger and guilt. "I . . . didn't kill those humans." It was as close to an apology as he was going to get but Kurama did not need one.

_He blames himself for my condition,_ Kurama realized in dismay. "Hiei, I believe you. Bokuma has not changed my mind on that, however much he tried." He gave Hiei a wry grin, then sighed. "The trick now is to prove it to those in authority. _Someone_ did kill them. It is up to us to find out who."

"Hmm," Hiei nodded, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed.

Kurama looked again at his friend, noting for the first time the rose gracing his hair just over one ear. "Hiei," he grinned, "since when did you start carrying roses?"

"What? Oh!" Hiei plucked the flower from his hair almost too quickly, tossing it into Kurama's lap. "Since my partner got himself thrown in prison." A small, lopsided grin belied the otherwise harsh remark. "These are yours, too." He pulled a small pouch from his pocket, depositing it next to the rose. With only one hand, Kurama could not open the tied drawstring but his sensitive fingers told him that his collection of seeds were inside.

"Thank you, Hiei . . . for everything."

Hiei did not respond, staring at the uneaten riceball in his hand.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	10. Chapter 10 Scene of the Crime

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 10 – Scene of the Crime

Two figures slipped through the late-morning shadows of the forest, as silent and unnoticed as ghosts. Gaining the ridge overlooking Tarukane's estate, they paused while, overhead, a figure on an oar continued down into the vale.

"What do you see?" Kurama asked after a moment, watching Botan fly an aerial scouting sweep of the grounds. He had settled himself into a crouched position, allowing his body a brief rest.

Hiei had removed his bandana and was concentrating, natural eyes closed, the purple-irised Jagan glowing faintly. He still could not see into the top of the tower - the vile talismanic cards still hung in place, forgotten - but the rest of the mansion told a gruesome story. "Those guards from last night told the truth. All the humans inside are dead, at least three or four dozen - in the kitchen, the garage, the main hall, the bodyguards I left with the toad, even the two pilots in the vehicle on the cement square out back."

"Whoever did this was quite thorough, then." Kurama sighed. "And Yusuke and Kuwabara?"

Hiei shook his head with a grunt. "Not here."

"Not here yet," Kurama corrected mildly.

Hiei ignored him, continuing his search of the mansion and surrounding yards. "There are no youkai bodies anywhere. None of the Triad were actually killed, just knocked senseless. They must have cleaned up their fallen buddies outside on the grounds. The Toguros' bodies are gone, too." Hiei shook his head in disgusted wonder. "The humans have not even discovered the murders of their kind yet."

"The human authorities are not aware of the existence of the crime circle nor this estate," Kurama reminded him, "or else have had their silence purchased."

"Hn . . . What's that?" Hiei muttered. Kurama watched him patiently. After another moment, Hiei opened his eyes. "There's something in there but it's blocking me. It must be a youkai. No human has that kind of ability."

_No human you know of_, Kurama thought but this time refrained from speaking it. "Youkai or human, if it is not the murderer, perhaps it at least knows what happened. Where is it?"

"In the kitchen but, as soon as it sensed me, it disappeared."

"Then let us see if we can persuade it to reappear."

Hiei helped Kurama to his feet, frowning at his partner's stiff movements. Botan had tried to convince them both to leave Kurama with Genkai but Hiei understood his desire. He knew that he would have made the same decision. The two traversed the steep pitch to the vale below, approaching the mansion with caution. Botan landed and joined them, shuddering with horror. "Even the helicopter pilots . . . beheaded . . ."

Kurama put a steadying arm around her shoulders. "We know. Perhaps you should wait outside."

She recovered herself and gave him a wan smile. "No, I'll be all right. I'm a ferry girl, remember? I've been escorting the dead since the Muromachi Period. It's . . . just been a long while and I've always hated the violence."

"Humans are no better than youkai in that," Hiei grunted as he approached the door through which he had entered yesterday. It stood ajar as he had left it. He looked through the Jagan before exposing himself to the hallway within. The human security personnel who had tried to stop him lay just as he had left them, except that their heads had been severed from their bodies. Botan and Kurama followed.

Kurama resisted the urge to block his nose, the thick reek of death palpable to his sensitive olfactory. Then he paused as he caught a faint odor lingering in the air. "Youkai," he murmured.

"You smell someone?" Hiei asked. Kurama nodded.

Botan giggled. "You smell Hiei."

Hiei only rolled his eyes at her ignorance but Kurama pointed out with a mild grin, "I know the scent of my friends. No, this is familiar but . . . " His voice trailed off, his eyes going wide in shock.

"You recognize it?"

Kurama looked at Hiei, about to answer, then shook his head. "It's . . . too dispersed to be sure." He knew Hiei too well to speak his suspicions until he had better proof. Hiei would take him on his word but, if Kurama were right, far more than the word of a convicted thief would be needed - and they did not need Hiei taking things into his own hands to complicate the matter. "Let's keep moving."

Hiei did not respond. He was staring at the bodies on the floor, the Jagan glowing again. Kurama realized what he was doing and groaned inwardly. He knew that one of the powers of the Jagan was a sort of clairvoyance. Hiei was reading the recent events of the area. As the seconds ticked by, Hiei's eyes hardened with fury. "Why that - !" he raged at last.

"Hiei!" Kurama interrupted him. "We must find proof before we speak names. Your word alone will not be honored, nor mine."

Botan looked back and forth between the two but kept her peace at the look in Kurama's eyes as he shook his head at her.

Still fuming, Hiei led them along the route he had taken the day before, passing more bodies. He recognized every one of them, having subdued them himself. Each was like those of the first group, beheaded where he lay. Eventually, they found their way to the observation/control room where Hiei had confronted Tarukane. The decapitated corpses of the bodyguards lay perfectly in position. The headless body of Tarukane himself still sat on the console like an overstuffed teddy bear. Kurama noted that the glass of the observation window was broken inward, the pattern of the shattered hole centering about where Tarukane's head had been. Glass shards littered the bodies and floor. "Whoever killed _him_," Kurama murmured, "did so from outside, from the arena." Hiei nodded, having realized the same.

Botan studied the window. "But . . . how? The glass is shatter-proof."

Kurama shrugged carefully, blocking the pain in his muscles. "No glass is truly shatter-proof, just highly resistant. It might have been a weapon of some kind or even a powerful physical strike." He studied the other walls of the room. "There is no damage to the opposite wall to indicate an attack from a weapon that carried through. Whatever force hit Tarukane stopped at his body. Hiei, can you read this like you did before?"

Hiei shook his head. "It can only be done once in 24 hours."

"How disappointing," Botan muttered.

"Well, that's a hell of a greeting. Good to see you, too," a familiar voice teased softly. The three turned as Yusuke entered the room, Kuwabara a step behind. "Hey, guys."

Kurama allowed a thin smile. "Glad you two could join the party."

"Isn't that my line?" Yusuke grinned back, his temperament otherwise grim. He turned to Hiei and joked, "You're pretty vindictive when you're pissed, huh?"

Botan huffed at him. "That is not _even_ funny, Yusuke!"

Yusuke ignored her, stepping past into the room. Kurama had turned to look out the window into the arena. "How're you doing, buddy?" he asked, giving Kurama a friendly clap on the back of the shoulder. He jumped back as Kurama yelped in surprise and pain, collapsing away from him.

Kurama caught himself on the console, unmoving for a moment as his body recovered from the unexpected strike across the still-healing whiplashes. "S-sorry, Yusuke. You . . . startled me."

"Uh, Kurama . . . where's your other arm?" Yusuke queried, noting for the first time the empty sleeve tucked through the belt of the borrowed kimono.

"Who was it, Kurama?"

Kurama turned in surprise, having never heard such a tone in Kuwabara's voice. Kuwabara stood staring back at him, arms crossed, a look of hard anger in his eyes such as Kurama had never known from the usually jovial, even buffoonish human.

Kuwabara's frown deepened at his friend's hesitation. His voice was rough with the horror of his words. "You were . . . tortured, Kurama. I know. I felt it."

Now Yusuke was scowling, too. "Yeah, that's right. You mentioned something about that."

"Who did this to you, Kurama?" Kuwabara asked again.

Kurama looked away from them, eyes closed to the memories, wanting nothing more than to forget. He knew both humans' hearts. Fiercely loyal and protective, they would avenge him against any opponent without hesitation, regardless of whom. He was deeply grateful for their friendship but the last thing he wanted was to involve them in this matter any more than they had to be.

Hiei snarled when Kurama failed to respond. "His name is Bokuma - and when I get my hands on him - !"

"You'll do nothing."

Hiei turned in shock. "What?"

Kurama looked at him hard, his expression brooking no argument. "Technically, he has done nothing wrong - not against me, anyway. He acted completely within his power. We cannot afford to complicate matters by going after a prison warden for doing his job. You know that we are in it deeply enough as it is."

"Wait - prison what?" Yusuke stammered in shock. "What do you mean this Bokuma guy was doing his job?"

"Yeah, since when do guards get to hurt people like that?" Kuwabara wanted to know.

"And if they think Hiei did this, why'd they go after you?" Yusuke added.

Kurama sighed heavily. "Since said guard . . . is head of the Pit. It's the torture chambers at the heart of the prison. And because I am the one they caught."

"They're partners," Botan reiterated softly. "If one is to be punished for a crime, they both will be. That's Spirit World's justice system for youkai." Glancing at Hiei and with an almost accusing tone, she explained, "Hiei disappeared when the guards showed up, so they took Kurama instead."

"I told him to," Kurama put in before either human could respond. Hiei only stared at the floor, silently fuming, fists clenched at his sides. "Had we both been taken, we would still be in prison and no one would know the difference. With Hiei free, he could discover the truth and clear his name. He was able to free me early this morning." Kurama turned to his partner. "You did the right thing, Hiei. I know you came back as soon as you were able. Do not continue to blame yourself for my sake."

"Bokuma will pay," Hiei swore softly, finally meeting Kurama's eye.

Kurama nodded with a small grin. "I heard an American saying in English Language class once." The comment he made next was unintelligible to Hiei, who did not speak English. "It translates basically as 'What goes around, comes around.' It refers to the idea of Karma."

Yusuke nodded. "Why do I get the feeling this guy's got a lot of bad Karma backlogged just waiting to strike?"

Kuwabara produced his Spirit Sword, swinging it around before propping it confidently against his shoulder. "Well, that bad Karma's got a name and it's Kuwabara Kazuma! We'll give that bastard what for, won't we?"

Kurama shook his head. "We need proof first."

"What? Proof? It's written all over you!" Yusuke argued.

"The murders - " Kurama began, motioning at the bodies at their feet.

"Yeah, about that," Yusuke jumped in. "Any leads yet?"

"You're the Spirit Detective," Hiei groused. "You tell us."

Kurama looked at him in surprise. _Surely he saw the perpetrator in his psychic reading-?_

"What about the security cameras?" Kuwabara pointed at the fixed appliance in the corner of the ceiling.

Yusuke nodded. "Where would they keep the tapes for that?"

"A main security room of some kind?" Kurama guessed.

Botan snapped her fingers. "Of course! That would prove exactly what happened and who did it!"

Hiei was shaking his head. "It won't prove anything."

All four looked at him in confusion. "Why not?" Yusuke asked.

"Whoever it was is a shapechanger of some kind. My guess is a type of youkai called an illusion beast. A tape will only prove to anyone watching that I did this."

Kurama nodded to himself. _That would explain the burst of outrage. Whoever it was impersonated him to be certain he would be blamed. So he does not know -_

"Hey! Where are the Toguro's?" Kuwabara demanded, looking down into the arena.

Hiei shrugged. "We'll never know. Probably carried off by the surviving members of their mob. Or maybe you didn't actually manage to kill them," he murmured with a shrug.

"Hey, Shorty! That's not even funny! Bet _you_ couldn't have taken them on - "

Yusuke shook his head, in no mood to listen to their banter. "Come on, gang. We're not gonna learn anything more here." He turned to leave, the others following. A heavy pall hung over the group, each lost in his own thoughts.

The group had made its way through the expansive home and were in sight of the massive front double doors when Hiei froze, the Jagan glowing faintly. "It's him." His eyes darted this way and that, trying to pin down the presence. Then, he took off.

"Wha - Hey! Wait up!" Yusuke and Kuwabara bolted after him. Kurama moved to follow, then clutched at his wounded shoulder in pain, dropping to his knees as his legs buckled.

"Easy, Kurama." Botan knelt by his side, fussing, "I told you - you should have stayed at Master Genkai's. You're just not up to all this moving around yet."

Kurama chuckled in spite of himself, appreciating her concern. "I do not need a second mother."

"Well, you've got one if that's what it takes to keep you from hurting yourself. In fact, hold still. I'll give you another dose of healing."

Kurama smiled at her. _"Do not discount the strength of friendship."_ Genkai's voice echoed in his mind just then. _Never!_ he thought. _Friends are far too precious to be underestimated._

Elsewhere, Yusuke cursed under his breath. He and Kuwabara had lost sight of Hiei. "The halls in this stupid place are like a freakin' labyrinth!" he complained. "Kuwabara, can you sense Hiei anywhere?"

Kuwabara paused, then, "Yeah, that way."

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Ahead of them, Hiei had chased the sensation into the kitchen. He paused, taking in the sight of the decapitated cooks littering the floor, his nose wrinkling at the stench of death and forgotten food. _Well, I won't be joining them_, he silently assured whoever was hiding. _Come out, coward!_ He prowled noiselessly into the room, one hand on his sword hilt. The lights were out and there were no windows but Hiei did not need light to see.

The room was huge and laid out as one would find in a restaurant's kitchen. Pots and pans of all descriptions hung from frames on the ceiling. One section of the room was filled with tall shelving units of food goods. Along another wall were the cooking appliances. The other two walls sported stainless steel counters with open shelves underneath and stainless-steel-doored cabinets above. Numerous small appliances and trees of preparation and cooking tools lined the lower shelves. Tables filled the center of the room, half-prepared meals spoiling on platters and cutting boards. _Very few hiding spots anywhere in this place_, Hiei noted. _The cabinets, maybe?_ He started for the nearest set but stopped at a small creaking noise behind him. Whirling around, he dropped into a battle-ready stance, eyes scanning the room. Was it his imagination or was there movement behind the darkened glass of the largest oven?

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke arrived at the door of the kitchen to see Hiei staring intently at the appliances across the room. Then Hiei stiffened. Yusuke felt it, too - a building of Yoki in the air.

"Hiei, look out!" Kuwabara hollered from behind him as the two rushed into the room.

Hiei was already moving as the tables to either side of him toppled of their own accord, pelting him with their rotten dishes. Small appliances leaped off the shelves, spinning through the air. The structures bolted to the ceiling ripped free, raining cookingware all over the room. As he dodged the heavy pots, some of them practically as big as he, the fire apparition did not see the nearest storage unit rocking. It fell, knocking Hiei off his feet and burying him under numerous bagged pounds of rice and flour. Dozens of kitchen knifes pulled free of wooden storage blocks, streaking right for him. Yusuke leveled his hands, intending to blow them away with his Spirit Gun, but a flying toaster smashed into the side of his head. Knocked momentarily senseless, he was further delayed when Kuwabara shoved him to the ground, then sliced a charging ice machine in half with his Spirit Sword. Yusuke sat up in time to see the butcher knives and other deadly cutlery dive right into the pile of rice bags.

"Dammit, no! _HIEI!_"

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11 Thorns

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 11 - Thorns

Kurama closed his eyes for a moment, welcoming the warm energies that flowed from Botan's hands. Genkai's healing had washed away most of the bruises and strains as well as erasing the burn-tattoos Dog had given him. Botan focused on his hand and shoulder and down through his torn back, those injuries being far deeper.

After a moment, the girl opened her eyes. "I'm sorry. That's all I can do for now."

Kurama met her apologetic gaze and shook his head. "I am glad for any help. Thank you." He turned in the direction their friends had gone, opening his senses to feel for their whereabouts. "We should see what is happening with - " He stiffened suddenly, his breath stolen, his attention snapping to the front doors.

"What is it?" Botan whispered, seeing the fleeting fear in his eyes.

Without answering, Kurama began to pull himself to his feet. Botan helped, watching his expression closely. Kurama cursed under his breath. This was the last thing they needed right now. He had extended his senses only to catch the opening of a periphery portal just outside the front doors. Several youkai guards had emerged and were just then beginning to beat on the locked doors. Kurama pulled Botan behind him. There was no time to go for cover and no doors, no furniture close enough or large enough even to try. His seeds were stashed in various locations about his person but, as he took a quick mental inventory, he realized that none would be of any use in this situation. He snatched the rose from under his hair. "Rose Whip!"

"Kurama, no!" Botan gasped as the rose transformed with a crack.

"If we are taken again now, this will never be solved," Kurama told her, his voice a growl. "I doubt we will have another chance." He was not customarily left-handed but had trained himself to fight with ambidexterity if he ever found the need. Now he was thankful for the foresight. Still, he feared he would be no match even for the guards in his current state, let alone - _No, not him!_

The doors gave easily under the creatures' supernatural strength. A handful darted through, breaking to either side. Then _he_ stepped through, looking over the situation with a critical eye.

Pulling himself up straight, Kurama met the powerful youkai's arrogant gaze with a defiant look of his own. "Batsukuno."

"I might say 'well met,' Youko Kurama," Batsukuno returned in an even tone, "but then I would be lying and that is ill-becoming of the Chief of Justice now, isn't it? I must say I am surprised that you would dare return here after escaping me - or was there unfinished business to clean up? You have been quite a _thorn_ in my side over the past twenty-four hours." He grinned with little humor, eyes going to the Rose Whip in Kurama's hand.

Kurama deliberately ignored the play-on-words. "We have the task of finding the evidence to prove we are blameless. Is that not how youkai justice operates - guilty until proven innocent?"

"You fall for that ignorant propaganda? I had thought you, of all people, to be more astute than that. I run a _fair_ court, youko. It is those criminals who do not like the judgments against them who start such lies. No one would be brought before me unless captured for an offense. Admittedly, it is not inconceivable for a mistake to be made . . . but we both know how often that happens when dealing with youkai. Our kind, as a general rule, is not known for our . . . civility with one another, let alone anything weaker than ourselves. I will admit, I am tempted by the urges myself on occasion but, of course, I must set a better example than that."

"No, instead you hide behind your judge's robe and justify punishing the innocent with the guilty!" Botan shot back.

Anger flashed in Batsukuno's vivid purple eyes and, for a moment, Kurama feared he would retaliate with his agony attack. "Take care your words, ferry girl," he murmured, his voice as soft as it was lethal, "as you too are facing charges - aiding and abetting convicts, harboring an escaped prisoner, possibly even being party to the escape itself."

At that, Kurama heard her gulp audibly and pull a little further behind him.

Just then, horrendous noises echoed to them from elsewhere in the house - the heavy clanging of thick metal pots, the warning shouts of voices, and the bashing noises of appliances and metal tables and shelves. _Hiei!_ Kurama realized in sudden concern.

"What the - ?" Batsukuno startled. "Captain, take some of your men and check that out. It's probably the assassin." The captain bowed, motioned to a handful of guards and started off for the kitchen.

"Batsukuno, don't do this, at least not yet," Kurama implored. "Just give us time - "

"To what? Fabricate an alibi? I think not. I have all the evidence needed to put both you and the assassin away for good. Now I will warn you only once - submit or be subdued." His voice was stiff with repressed fury and brooked no argument.

There was nothing Kurama could do. Against only the guards he might have had a chance but not against Batsukuno, not in his present weakened state. Besides, he had to admit to himself, he had no desire to give the cold youkai reason to punish him with that agony attack on top of his existing injuries. All he could do was hope that Hiei escaped once again._ And what of Yusuke and Kuwabara? Damn!_ He turned to look down the corridor after the retreating guards.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke pulled himself to his feet and jumped over the dissected appliance, Kuwabara close on his heels. A thick cloud of flour dust filled the air as the last of the appliances and kitchenwares fell lifelessly to the floor. To his relief, he heard coughing and low cursing from within. That meant Hiei was alive, at least. He snatched up a large copper frying pan and began fanning the air, clearing the flour. Then he nearly doubled over laughing in spite of himself.

Hiei had managed to unbury himself from the pile of bags. The knives cut open his cloak in numerous places but most seemed to have grazed his limbs or missed him altogether, doing more damage to the sacks. Hiei himself was coated with a layer of flour, dusted white from head to toe. He shot the two humans a frown of annoyance at their humor, then twisted to reach for something behind his left shoulder.

Yusuke stopped laughing with a hitch of alarm. The white powder had turned to red mud around and under a large handle jutting out from Hiei's back at the shoulder blade. The fire apparition grasped the handle and pulled. He did not utter a sound but Yusuke and Kuwabara made enough noise in empathy to make up for it.

"That doesn't look good," Kuwabara worried.

"Never mind that." Hiei tossed away the butcher knife with contempt, glowering at the oven. "Whatever attacked is in there." He started for the appliance, then froze.

"What - ?" Yusuke started.

Hiei shook his head, his expression allowing for no objections. His mental voice was edged with an urgency to which they were unaccustomed from the fire apparition as he contacted them telepathically. _-If you two never follow instructions again, be sure that you heed me now. Get down - don't move - stay silent. Do it!-_ he added, shoving Yusuke down behind one of the fallen tables. He turned his glare on Kuwabara, who quickly but reluctantly followed suit.

They watched Hiei hesitate, staring at the door. Then Kuwabara gasped softly. "There's other youkai here," he whispered to Yusuke. Hiei shot him a quick warning look before they heard shouts.

"There he is! Jaganshi Hiei, halt! . . . Dammit - after him!" the voice cried as Hiei took off. Several youkai pounded through the kitchen, taking no notice of the two humans.

Kuwabara looked quizzically at Yusuke. "What did they call him?"

Yusuke shook his head. "I dunno. Forget it." At least half a dozen creatures had just run by. _Youkai are not allowed in the Human Realm without a really good reason,_ Yusuke thought. _They must be here for Hiei and -_ He gasped. _Kurama's in no condition to fight._ He grabbed Kuwabara by the arm, hauling him to his feet. "We have to get back to Kurama and Botan."

8 8 8 8 8

Hiei had the same thought as he darted through the halls, ignoring the pain burning through his shoulder, the arm already having gone numb. He intended to lead the guards well away from Yusuke and Kuwabara before dispatching them, in case their departing souls gave away the humans' presence to the Spirit Realm. Rounding a corner to a dead end at a heavy, locked door, he turned to make his stand. The fleetest guard lost his head before he was all the way around the corner. The next took the cue to approach with more caution. Hiei scried around the corner through the Jagan and recognized the captain from last night. He saw the captain stop his comrades with a hand on one's shoulder.

"Jaganshi Hiei, we already have your partner and the ferry girl. Your continued resistance will only make things harder on them. Or will you forsake your partner again? There will be no second escape for him, so don't even consider trying to fetch him later. Surrender now and he _may_ be allowed to live."

Hiei swore silently. He could not afford to call their bluff, inclined to believe that the captain spoke the truth. He had no time and no patience for these fools. Instead, he concentrated and disappeared, teleporting down the hall back behind them. He was gone before they knew what he had done.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	12. Chapter 12 Jurisdictions

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 12 – Jurisdictions

Hiei found his way back to the entrance hall, stopping around a corner and scrying through the Jagan. Botan and Kurama only had five guards. The ferry girl's hands had been bound, a strange collar fastened around her throat. With Kurama's one arm bandaged as it was, he had been handcuffed to another of the wardens. He, too, wore a collar. Hiei guessed it to be a Yoki-dampening device like the manacles he had been force to wear too often of late. To his surprise, Batsukuno himself was also present. _Hn. Now all we need is Bokuma and -_

Surprising him further, he saw Batsukuno smile in self-assurance and turn to look right in his direction. "Come out, assassin, if you value these ones' lives at all." He watched Kurama's guard step behind him, pulling his arm up behind his back and pressing a dagger to the side of his throat. Another made the same move with Botan. _Dammit! _Hiei thought. _ This is ridiculous!_

"Hold it right there, you jerk!" Yusuke and Kuwabara burst onto the scene from another hallway, Reiki weapons at the ready. The three remaining guards moved to protect the chief admin but were waved off.

Batsukuno turned with a humorless grin. "Ah, Lord Koenma's pet humans. A pleasure. However, this is a youkai matter and therefore beyond your jurisdiction, _'detectives'_. You would be best to stay out of this."

"Yusuke, Kuwabara, don't - !" Kurama began.

Batsukuno turned with a snarl and a gesture. "Silence, thief!"

Hiei watched Kurama collapse with a strangled cry, his guard letting him go. He readily passed out from the pain on top of pain. Botan made a small noise but did not rebel, held in check by the dagger at her throat.

"Kurama!" Kuwabara cried.

Yusuke snarled. "You bastard! SPIRIT GUN!"

Batsukuno gestured again and the energy splashed harmlessly across a force field. The youkai glared hard at the two humans. "I will say this only once more - this is out of your power. These offenders are to be returned to the Spirit Realm to stand trial. You should be thanking me rather than trying to defend the ones who coldly murdered so many of your kind."

"Don't lump us with that trash downstairs!" Yusuke snapped. "And they didn't do it!"

"You have proof?" Batsukuno countered derisively. Yusuke could only glare in response.

"Bastard!" Kuwabara raged. "I've got your proof right here! Spirit Sword, get longer!" He skewered the guard handcuffed to Kurama and charged Batsukuno, pulling his sword at the last minute from the guard's chest. The dead youkai slumped to the ground over his prisoner. Kuwabara swung at Batsukuno, who merely parried the weapon barehanded, then gestured contemptuously at the human. The Spirit Sword disappeared as Kuwabara's concentration was broken by the sudden agony that assaulted him. He collapsed to his knees at Batsukuno's feet.

Ignoring both humans, the chief admin turned once again in Hiei's direction, then paused as he realized that the fire apparition was no longer there. Hiei had made use of the distraction to dart in behind Batsukuno and now used that advantage to put his sword through the bastard's chest from spine to sternum. "You're not taking me anywhere," he swore in a low voice. To his shock, Batsukuno spun around with a growl, jerking the sword from Hiei's hand. Hiei easily ducked the backhand swing but did not escape the agony attack. He went to one knee, face contorted as he glared up at Batsukuno in agony and hate. A guard came up behind him with a heavy kick to the knife wound. Hiei grunted in pain, jerking away from him. Distracted and disabled, he did not successfully dodge the guard's next strike, a sword pommel to the back of Hiei's head. The fire apparition dropped unconscious.

8 8 8 8 8

Enraged at the sight of his fallen friends, Yusuke leaped forward, easily dispatching the two guards who tried to stop him with a flurry of Reiki-enhanced punches. The guard over Hiei fell just as quickly but before Yusuke could turn his rage on the leader, he heard a sound like a rifle shot and a force enveloped him, a glowing red mesh blocking his vision. The force constricted, dropping Yusuke unceremoniously to the ground in a web of some kind with his hands trapped awkwardly against his chest. He saw Batsukuno turn toward the source.

"It's about time you showed up again, captain," Batsukuno sneered. "I see you let the assassin escape you a second time. It is well that I came along."

"Oh . . . no . . . you _don't!_" Fury giving him the strength to fight the torturous fire Yusuke could only imagine was flooding his veins, Kuwabara forced himself to his feet. He held out his hand. "S-spi-rit Sw - "

"Get back down, dog!" Batsukuno snapped, backhanding him across the side of the head.

"Leave him alone, you jerk!" Yusuke could only watch as his friend hit the ground, bucking as if in the grip of death throes. He inched his way around to see the youkai captain and his comrades approach, one shouldering a rifle-like weapon.

"Forgive me, Lord Batsukuno," the captain murmured, bowing. "My men can take charge of the prisoners from here."

"You can take charge of the assassin's blade first," the chief admin snapped in irritation, turning for the captain to remove the sword from his trunk.

"What of the humans?" one guard wanted to know.

Batsukuno glared down at Yusuke, then relented with a shrug. "Leave them. I suppose they cannot be blamed for their actions. Misplaced as the feelings are, I understand they consider the half-breed and even the fire apparition friends of theirs. Of course, they would want to defend them. It is why they were not sent after these two to begin with. Another reason a human Spirit Detective shouldn't associate with youkai - "

"The who and the what?" Yusuke growled. "Listen, buddy, I don't know who you think you are - "

Batsukuno's eyes narrowed in warning. "I am exactly whom I think that I am, human. Learn to watch your tongue. It will get you into more trouble than you can overcome one of these days. I suggest you be sure this one learns the same lesson as well." He nudged Kuwabara with one booted foot.

The remaining guards spread out, shouldering the prisoners and their dead or unconscious companions. The one guarding Botan signaled for her to move as well.

Yusuke gasped. "Wait - what? Botan, too? What the hell - ?"

The captain delivered a kick to his kidneys. "That's enough, human! Don't take such a tone of voice with the Chief Administrator of Justice of the Spirit and Demon Realms."

"Oh, well if that's all he is . . . " Yusuke groaned, feeling the bruise forming across his lower back. He could no more than watch the group depart, Batsukuno opening a periphery portal back to the Spirit Realm.

With that, the spell effect on Kuwabara ended. He paused to catch his breath before shoving to his feet once again. "Why that . . . Lemme get my hands on him just once!"

"Hey, Kuwabara, get me out of this freakin' . . . whatever the hell it is." Yusuke rocked back and forth, struggling futilely against the glowing red cords. The more he fought, the tighter they pulled.

"Spirit Sword!" Kuwabara bent to cut Yusuke free. As soon as the first strands were broken, the entire magical net dissipated.

"Dammit! They got away," Yusuke snarled in frustration as Kuwabara pulled him to his feet.

"Huh . . . now what, Urameshi?"

Yusuke thought about that for a moment. "Unless we can find out what really happened here, that guy's gonna hang Hiei and Kurama both. Even Botan! Dammit!" He ran a hand through his hair, thinking. "The kitchen. That's our only lead. Hiei said there was something in one of the ovens. C'mon!"

The two lost their way a few times before finally making it back to the kitchen. It still lay in the same state of chaos. Stepping carefully over bodies and cookingware alike, they picked their way across to the major appliances.

"Even if we do find something," Kuwabara grunted, trying in vain to ignore the sightless eyes staring at him from disembodied heads here and there, "how're we gonna get it to the Spirit Realm? Without Botan - "

Yusuke cut him off with an irritable wave of his hand. "I'll figure something out! I dunno, maybe Genkai - "

He stopped at Kuwabara's hand suddenly gripping his shoulder. "There's something here," the taller man muttered in an undertone, "and it's not in the oven." He was looking around the room.

Yusuke, too, scanned the room critically. If it were a youkai, maybe Hiei's stronger presence had kept Kuwabara from noticing before. If it were a human - Yusuke's eyes went to the bodies on the floor. He did a double take. There was one body with its head still attached. It lay half under the rice bags where Hiei had been. Perhaps that was why it had escaped notice before. As Yusuke crept closer, he realized that it did not appear to have wounds of any kind. In fact, it should have been coated with flour like Hiei was. It was not. Long hair covered the face but he thought he saw the glint of wetness, like eyes, somewhere behind the thick locks. He had the creepy feeling he was being watched. He inched closer.

"Urameshi, duck!" Kuwabara tackled Yusuke as the room came alive again with poltergeist-like activity, Yoki exploding throughout. A voice shrieked at them, high-pitched and echoing through the enormous room full of flashing metal.

"GO AWAY!"

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	13. Chapter 13 Surreal

((snerk)) I have to say – It could _not_ have worked out more PERFECTLY for this material to fall into this number of chapter . . . and I didn't even _plan_ on it. Didn't notice until after the fact! LOL

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 13 - Surreal

_Dark sky that stretches out limitlessly,  
The sound of distant, cracking thunder.  
Whenever I stand, my steps  
Sway._

_A strange voice, a cold hand . . .  
Out of the darkness, they call me.  
Again and again, they call me._

_Borrowing the words of a warm person,  
Borrowing the form of nostalgic days -  
Bad dreams step ever closer.  
Nightmare!_

"Nightmare!" - Kurama, movie soundtrack to  
YYH/Poltergeist Report: Bonds of Fire

A small moan escaped Kurama's lips as he shifted, reluctantly regaining consciousness. His head lay on his folded arms. As his senses slowly returned to him, he realized that he was sitting, leaned forward on a table of some kind. Emerald eyes slid open slowly as he reached out of habit to brush his long hair from his face. None met his fingers. His eyes snapped fully open as he patted at his hair - bangs short, no eartails and the back closely cropped.

"Minamino, are you paying attention?" a voice demanded.

"I - um - y-yessir, Mr. Fuan." The name rolled easily from his tongue, even before he had turned to see who had spoken. A balding Chinese man stood glaring at him. Despite the fact that the man was short even for his nationality, Kurama instinctively knew that the man stood taller than he did.

Mr. Fuan held his eyes suspiciously. "What does the 'DC' in the name of the United States' capital stand for?"

"District of Columbia."

Mr. Fuan nodded, satisfied that his student indeed had been paying attention. He turned back to the world map taped to the board and continued his lecture.

Kurama looked around, recognizing the classroom in which he found himself. Mr. Fuan had been one of his teachers several years ago. He glanced down at his clothing, noting the uniform of Kantomaru Primary School. Under his hand, the characters "bo - ku" had been scribbled on a notebook. The next character had been begun but Kurama could not remember what he had been writing. Deep brown eyes caught his from the corner of his vision. A shy girl from the next row of desks was watching him sidelong through her black bangs. _Her name was Van_, Kurama thought, remembering the immigrant from Cambodia who had been in his fourth-grade class. He had been nine years old.

He listened intently, slowly recalling the geography lesson, even anticipating the questions before they were asked. The Human Realm had long fascinated him, so different from the one in which he had spent most of his existence. It had been an odd state of reality - living and growing in the childhood of one life and learning about one world while at the same time regaining memories, skills, even supernatural powers from another. He had always known he was different but it was not until he was five or six years old that he fully realized just how different - and why. It had been exciting. It had also been lonely as he realized that he could never allow himself to get too close to anyone, lest they learn the truth.

A knock at the door brought him back to the present and interrupted Mr. Fuan's speech. The teacher motioned in mild annoyance and the student nearest the door got up to respond. _His name was - is? - Hashiba . . ._ Kurama could not recall the boy's personal name. _His older sister's name is Kagome._

The man standing at the door seemed familiar to Kurama in a threatening sort of way that made the hairs on the nape of his neck stand up. There was something inhuman about him, though Kurama could not decide what. The man stepped into the room, crossing to Mr. Fuan with an air of confidence and danger that made the closest students shrink away from him in fear. He was too big and lumbering to be Japanese, at least not full-blooded. Kurama thought perhaps he was part Mongolian or maybe he was one of those who, according to myth, had oni blood in him. He knew he had never seen the man before - or had he?

The ogre-man murmured to Mr. Fuan who turned to Kurama. "Minamino, follow this gentleman to the principle's office."

Kurama's heart was in his throat as he silently gathered his books and belongings. Hushed murmurs and singsong taunts of "Minamino's in trouble" breathed just loudly enough for him to hear followed him across the room. He paused to look up at the ogre-man. For some reason, he felt that he should be looking this man eye-to-eye. He felt very small all of a sudden, looking up at him from belt-level. He had a distinctive scent, too, and Kurama knew that he should recognize it but, try as he might, he could not put a name nor a face to it. He only knew that the face he looked up into was not the right one. The man leered down at him before taking him roughly by the arm and hauling him out the door.

The hall was impossibly long and narrow, stretching on for as far as the eye could see. Kurama startled as he realized that the lockers lining the walls had been replaced with a gridwork of large stone squares like those found in a European mausoleum. He shrank away as he realized there were sounds coming from behind the blocks - moans, whistles, grunts, shrieks of pain and terror. Somewhere, someone was singing a mournful dirge. He turned away only to realize that they had reached the end of the corridor somehow, standing before a huge, ominous door. The upper half framed a frosted window with the Romaji characters "CA of J" painted across the center in bold red lettering. The ogre-man rapped on the window with his oversized knuckles, other hand still clamped securely around Kurama's arm.

The door was opened by the ugliest dog Kurama had ever seen, standing on its hind legs and inviting them inside with a low bow. He thought it might have been a boxer but it was too terribly scarred and disfigured to be sure. It made a noise like it was snickering at him and Kurama knew, without knowing how, that the creature was not sane. He turned to take in the rest of the opulent office and the other figure in the room caught his attention immediately. He was a tall, slim man in a professionally-cut, black suit. He had long, straight hair the color of fresh snow, his piercing eyes a deep, vivid purple. Before Kurama could register where he had seen the man before, he noticed the instrument in the man's hands, a thick bamboo cane like those used to punish errant schoolboys. Kurama shuddered as the man with the cane graced him with a cruel grin. "You've been a bad little boy."

"N-no! Wait!" The nine-year-old Kurama struggled futilely as the dog grabbed his other arm and he was dragged to the principle's desk, forced to bend over it. They twisted his arms, wrenching his shoulders forward to hold him in place, the smooth, polished surface of the desk cool against his cheek. His clothes from the waist down were pulled to his ankles. "Wait, please! There must be some mista - Ah!" The first crack of the cane cut him off, a thick line of fire burning across tender flesh. _But I haven't done anything!_ he protested silently as the punishment commenced, the cane applied with practiced precision. He squeezed his eyes shut against the tears that came unbidden at the pain and humiliation. _I didn't - _

The lights went out.

The hands that held him in place remained but the cane stopped. He shook his long hair from his face – _Long?_ he wondered with a start – as he opened his eyes. The stone-worked room was dimly lit by a fire somewhere outside of his field of vision. He shifted, trying to see more of the new room, and a sharp little prick dug into his bare chest, a splinter from the rough, untreated wood under him. He realized with a start that he was now completely divested of clothing. Pain still burned in thick, angry stripes across his nether cheeks. He jumped as a new agony raked his shoulders with a terrible crack. _Bokuma's whip_, Kurama thought, stifling a murmur. He held still, riding out the new punishment as the cruel lashes tore open his back with each strike. How long the flogging continued, he could not tell. He had begun to disconnect, mentally distancing himself from the pain, when a boot shoved its way between his heels and kicked his feet apart. His ankles were tied to legs on either side of the table. With a shock of horror, he realized what was coming next. He struggled anew, gaining strength in desperation to break the hold his torturers had on him.

A voice called from a distance just then, female and vaguely familiar. "Kurama! Kurama, wake up!"

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	14. Chapter 14 Wrath of Batsukuno

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 14 – The Wrath of Batsukuno

"Kurama! Kurama, wake up!"

With a whimper, Kurama rolled onto his side, curling up in horror. It took another moment for Botan's voice to catch his attention.

"Kurama, please - wake up!"

Kurama shifted carefully, turning over. He lay on the floor in a dungeon cell. Three of the walls were stone, the forth a barrier of thick bars. Across a narrow expanse, he noted another wall of bars, Botan staring in anxious concern at him from the other side. Beside her was a stone wall separating her from the next cell. In it, to Kurama's dismay, he saw Hiei lying unconscious. His cloak and scarf were gone, as was his sword. His face and hair, hands, and boots were coated in white. _What did they do to him?_ He smelled blood and the thick scent of flour in the air.

"Ku-kurama? Y-you were having a nightmare of some kind. Are you all right?" Botan continued as he sat up.

"Y-yes . . . I am fine." He wiped the sweat from his face, noting the manacles encircling both wrists, a short chain in between. _Yoki-dampening shackles_, he thought wearily. _So we are back to this, then?_

Hiei stirred with a low moan. He began to push himself off the floor, then stopped with a sharp hiss. He shifted his weight onto his right arm and continued up, keeping his left close. His right hand went to the back of his head and came away with blood on the fingertips. He scowled in aggravation. Then he touched his forehead as he realized his Jagan was sealed with a talismanic card. Looking around, his eyes found his partner's. "Are you all right?"

Kurama shrugged. "I have been better. You?" Hiei only grunted. Kurama nodded, satisfied with the response, then grinned in spite of himself. "What happened, Hiei? It looks like you got into a fight with the cooks - and lost."

Hiei rolled his eyes, brushing the powder from his hair. "Kurama, do you _want_ to permanently lose your vocal cords?" The threat was an empty one and they both knew it, though Botan made a small noise of disapproval. Hiei reacted to her voice and Kurama referred his attention to the cell next to his. Hiei nodded, then continued to watch Kurama, finally pointing out, "Your hand."

Kurama looked down, taking notice for the first time the missing kimono and bandaging. He had gestured with his right hand out of habit. It still ached terribly but as he flexed his fingers, exercising caution, he realized that he was regaining its use. He reached up with his other hand, massaging the shoulder as he carefully moved his arm around, testing its mobility. He could still feel the whiplashes across his back but they, too, were healing.

Botan was frowning at him. "Careful, Kurama. Don't go re-injuring yourself."

"I heal quickly," he reassured her with a smile, "and I have had a lot of help."

She huffed. "I tried to get them to leave you alone - both of you - but they said they were checking for hidden weapons."

"Yes," Kurama chuckled at the absurdity of the excuse, "weapons hidden so that even I could not have reached them." He knew without searching that his seeds were gone. At a sudden thought, his hand went the hem of his pants, relieved to feel a tiny pebble still in the fold, its familiar Yoki seeping into his fingertips.

"What?" Hiei watched him in concern.

Kurama responded with a smile. "Nothing. Just an itch."

Just then, the door down the way opened and a number of youkai guards trouped along the corridor to their cells, the captain at the head. "All right, you three," he grunted. "Lord Batsukuno will see you now."

Hiei growled and waved him off. "That glorified magistrate's already convicted me, as far as he cares. What more does he want?"

Without bothering to reply, the captain gestured for his subordinates to move. Botan's cell was the first to be opened and she offered no resistance as they dragged her out. Kurama had pulled himself to his feet by then and also followed without complaint. He met Hiei's eye, silently advising him not to cause trouble at this point. Hiei acted as though nothing was wrong but in his movements and his eyes Kurama could read deep, suppressed pain - and something else. Kurama knew all too well the price for the death of a human. Hiei knew it, too. A hint of apprehension haunted his ruby eyes as he stepped out of his cell to Kurama's side in the corridor. The smaller youkai was not wearing a shirt and Kurama saw for the first time the primary source of the blood scent, frowning at the sight of the slightly gaping knife wound. It looked as though the blade had slid off his scapula several inches, severing the muscle tissue just to the inside of the flat bone._ That's about where the Trapezius is_, Kurama thought in concern, recalling some anatomy lessons from his biology class. _Given his ability, it will heal given time - but will seriously hamper his mobility until then. Assuming, of course, that it does not become the least of his concerns._ The back of Hiei's hair was also matted in blood from what appeared to be a minor head wound.

The guards shifted into position around the three and the group headed up the corridor. From the temporary holding block, they passed through Administration and into the corridors of courtrooms, taking a new hallway none of the three had been down before. They descended a long flight of steps to a very large, thick door. Kurama was reminded of the door in his dream, sans window. His sharp hearing caught the low hum of numerous voices somewhere beyond. The captain knocked out a particular pattern. An oni guard unlocked and opened the door from the other side. The group stepped out onto the floor of an enormous circular room, stadium seating rising away from them over a wall some twenty feet high. The expansive stands were half-filled with youkai, oni, ferry girls, and an assortment of other denizens of the Realms. The round floor was empty save for two wooden poles in the center and a high podium several yards beyond, between the posts and the wall. Batsukuno stood glowering down on them from the podium, his arms crossed. "What is this?" Kurama heard Hiei growl under his breath. "Does he mean to make a public spectacle of us?" With a start, Kurama realized the presence of another, even more powerful Yoki and he raised his eyes to a section of special seating behind Batsukuno. His breath caught in his throat and his heart skipped a beat.

At first glance, the man might be taken for a heavy-set giant from Russia in the Human Realm. Standing, he would easily reach fifty to seventy feet in height. He wore a blue uniform and matching hat trimmed in red and yellow. His black hair was thick and well-groomed, reaching forward across his jowls to frame his mouth in a short, full beard, the lips down-turned in a perpetual frown. Heavy eyebrows bristled over glasses with reflective lenses, hiding the man's eyes from view. Kurama had never seen him but there was no doubt in his mind of the apparition's identity. He stood before Emperor Enma himself, ruler of the Spirit Realm. The feeling of smallness and inferiority from his dream dropped back into his stomach. He glanced down at Hiei and was met by ruby eyes with the same thoughts as his own. There would be no escape this time.

"Wh-where's L-lord Koenma?" Botan murmured, her voice barely above a shaky whisper.

Kurama took in the spectators occupying the room with one more quick look. Lord Koenma was not in attendance. The stone in Kurama's stomach grew heavier as he realized that they had no allies at all in this room, only hostile glares looming over them from all around. They were truly alone here in the bowels of the court system.

The guards led their prisoners to the center of the room. To her surprise, Botan was then shoved ahead of the rest, standing alone before Batsukuno. The Chief Administrator of Justice only scowled at her for a long moment before addressing her. "Ferry Girl Botan, I must say that, in all of this, your participation surprises me the most. Then again, perhaps it should not. You have always been known as flighty and gullible. What story were you given that you should choose to participate in this fiasco?" He paused but Botan had no answer for him, wringing her hands as she stared at the floor, trembling. He shook his head. "I could tell you your fate were you under my jurisdiction. However, you are a vassal of Lord Koenma and therefore have no place here. Get her out of my courtroom." One of the guards took hold of Botan and began to drag her back the way they had come. As she passed Kurama, her frightened eyes caught his for just an instant. She looked like she wanted to say something but there was no chance.

Batsukuno turned to Kurama and Hiei, his look as black as thunder. "As for you two . . . " He gestured to the guards. Kurama was hauled over to one of the poles, his arms pulled up over his head by the chain of the shackles. A link was slipped over one of a series of hooks climbing the upper section of the pole and suddenly Kurama recognized it. It was a whipping post. _Not again_, he groaned silently. He glanced at his friend. Hiei had been hung on the other pole. His lips had gone white with agony, a pinched expression in his dilated eyes, as spasms ran across the muscles of his back from having his arms upraised, pulling on the knife wound. The first crack resounded through the vast room, echoing ominously, as several lashes cut across Hiei's unprotected shoulders. He did not utter a sound but Kurama saw him jump. Whipweals raised immediately, tiny jagged pieces of metal lacerating the skin, and the knife wound began bleeding anew. The whip cracked again and this time Kurama gasped as the braided, barbed thongs reignited the whipfire pain of his previous beatings. He set his head against the wood, eyes closed, bracing for the duration of the punishment. And so went the flogging, the whip alternating between the two partners, sometimes repeating on one or the other just to keep them guessing.

"Enough!" Batsukuno's voice echoed sharply after several very long minutes. Mercifully, the whip stopped. Kurama opened his eyes, looking around his arm at the chief admin. After taking a moment to get control over the agony, Hiei also glared up at the podium, pain and rage burning in his fire-red eyes. Batsukuno ignored them both, addressing the audience. "Gentle lords and ladies, our most esteemed Emperor Enma" - he turned to bow to the giant behind him - "for many centuries now, I have held the position in the Spirit Realm as Chief Administrator of Justice. Upon my shoulders falls the responsibility of maintaining peace and some semblance of order not only in the Spirit Realm but in the Demon Realm as well inasmuch as it pertains to the Spirit Realm. All of you know well the chaos that runs rampant through most of the lands of the Demon Realm - and the Spirit Realm only has influence over a very small portion. Needless to say, with the known . . . character of most of its denizens, some restrictions must be enforced against them. Long have I maintained that youkai should not, under any circumstances, be allowed into the Human Realm. Its denizens are a more powerless sort than even the weakest among youkai. Also, the Spirit Realm could not properly operate in the Human Realm if the denizens are aware of its existence - and, let's face it, most humans' minds could not tolerate the truth of 'monsters' being real these days." He paused as answering chuckles of amused agreement rippled around the room. "Human so-called 'spirit detectives' have always been chosen to protect their own Realm from invasion, oni or even youkai intervention used only when no qualified humans are available. For ten years there was not a human qualified. Then Lord Koenma of the Spirit Realm Investigations Bureau and son of Emperor Enma found a human boy by the name of Urameshi Yusuke. He found two, in fact, though I understand that the second is not an official detective.

"These two before you now are known to all, I will trust. They are the surviving partners in the theft some months back of the Artifacts of Darkness from the Imperial Vault of the Spirit Realm - a weighty crime in and of itself. In spite of this, they were the two chosen to assist the fledgling Spirit Detective and his sidekick against the Saint Beasts of Maze Castle. At the conclusion of that . . . occurrence, Lord Koenma approached me concerning these two, asking that they be released to him to continue their assistance of the two humans as deemed necessary. Of course, we are all familiar with the inane compassion of Lord Koenma, something of which his father has tried in vain to cure him." Enma made no move to respond, thick arms crossed, the permanent scowl only deepening ever so slightly.

"Outside of this room, it is little known the half-human's true identity, not as a mere namesake but as the very reincarnation of the youko thief himself, Kurama the Silver Fox. His chosen partner is an accomplished assassin and mercenary swordsman no one had been able to capture until he fell to a mere fledgling human Spirit Detective." Batsukuno's eyes met Hiei's unflinchingly. "Sad, actually, if you think about it. Then again, I am given to understand that the half-breed had a hand in that." He shook his head, descending the short stretch of steps along the side of the podium to the floor. "Betrayed by his own partner, only to have that same partner be the agent by which he found release from our little corner of Hell." He smiled with little humor as he pulled up even with Hiei, looking down his thin nose at the fire apparition. Hiei made a move as though to kick at the chief admin but several lashes across his back interrupted the gesture. Batsukuno turned over his shoulder to Kurama. "And the so-called 'reformed' thief to whom some have looked as an example of atonement. Bah! I don't know which of you is worse: the blood-thirsty, cold-hearted assassin or the supposed repentant thief who stands by his side, regardless of reason or evidence." He leaned in close to Kurama's face. "People do not change, youko. You cannot hide your dark heart. Your soul is as black and stained as the day you were hunted down and left for dead. There is no such thing as redemption, thief."

"Not . . . true," Kurama murmured, pulling back from the accusing eyes that bored mercilessly into his.

Hiei snarled. "Leave him alone, you - _Ah!_ Damn you, stop that!" he barked as the whip cracked again.

Batsukuno stepped back, sniffing derisively. "You two do make a pair, don't you? You're both pathetic."

Kurama had heard enough. "Hiei did not kill those humans any more than you or I did - " He clamped back on a gasp as the lashes targeted him.

"An unbefitting tone of voice to take with the one who holds your life in his hands, youko," Batsukuno chided.

Kurama shook his head. "Search our minds, if you have the ability. If not, find one who can - "

Batsukuno laughed. "Nice try, youko. You are clever but not clever enough. I know the strength of both your minds. Doubtless you could convince yourselves of falsities long enough to fool a telepath into believing the scenes you would show him. That, however, could not erase the recorded images of human video."

"What?" Hiei growled.

Kurama gasped. "The security tapes!" He exchanged looks with Hiei, recalling what the swordsman had said about them. Hiei glowered back, "I told you so" burning in his eyes.

Batsukuno nodded darkly. "A few were missing but my agents recovered more than enough." He ascended the steps to the podium once again and passed his hands over the surface. The vast space in the center of the room over the heads of the onlookers filled with smoke which compacted itself into a large cube, the swirling surfaces as flat as polished crystal. Whether the images appearing on the sides were projected or produced from within, Kurama could not tell but he watched in horror as clips played of an individual who appeared unmistakably like Hiei silently and methodically assassinated group after pair after gathering of humans throughout the mansion, sometimes filling a room with a gas to incapacitate the victims first. His partner watched just as silently, fury seething in his ruby eyes at the dishonoring images.

When the heinous drama had played itself out, Batsukuno passed his hand once again over the top of the podium and the smoke dispersed. The room was completely silent as the audience took in what it had just seen. "Ladies and gentleman - " Batsukuno's soft voice broke through the quiet - "in all the decades I have held the position I maintain, never has such a crime been committed. Men, women, even the few children in the household - innocent sons and daughters of the lowly and ignorant servants - never saw what hit them. That is perhaps the only redeeming detail of this case, that they died quickly and without ever seeing their slayer. They were dead before they knew Death had crept up behind them. Death has a name - Jaganshi Hiei."

Hiei breathed an oath in Demongogian that Kurama not heard in years. It earned him another round of lashes.

"_How dare you?_" Batsukuno raged at the same time. "There is a reason that I have never been known for mercy, assassin! It is a weak sentiment and unbefitting one who deals with your kind day in and day out. I am disgusted to be of the same species as you! Both of you!" His flashing eyes turned to include Kurama. "For once - just once - I took a chance. I gave you both a second chance, a grace gesture - and _you dare to repay me like this!_ How dare you even _look_ at me, assassin? I should have your eyes removed for having the gall to meet my gaze - all three of them! _Insolent_ - " Batsukuno's voice failed him, his face a contorted mask of fury. When no further words would emerge from his wrath-choked throat, he gestured and the punishing lashes tore into them anew.

Kurama braced again with his eyes closed and feared he would soon lose consciousness if the punishment continued much longer but the whip stopped as suddenly as it began. Again, Kurama looked up at the decider of his fate. Batsukuno's glare was as black as Kurama had ever seen it. "I have had enough of the both of you. This is the last we will see of each other, I assure you. Youko Kurama, you are to return to the Pit for triple the remaining time of your sentence or until your life should expire - whichever comes first. Honestly, I don't care at this point. Bokuma, take him down." He cracked a large gavel against the surface of the podium.

Kurama jumped as he realized his torturer was behind him, had been all along. Bokuma strolled up between the two prisoners, coiling the lashes he had been employing on them with abandon. In a gesture of almost affectionate perversity, he gently brushed back Kurama's hair from his face. "Miss me, little fox?"

_Gods, no!_ Kurama pleaded silently. _Anything, anyone but him!_ His legs faltered as Bokuma lifted the chain free of its hook on the post.

"Come, pretty fox," Bokuma leered, enjoying the look of horror and despair in his prey's eyes, "let's get you back where you belong."

In spite of his own injuries, Hiei began trying to climb his post, looking to free himself of his hook. "No - Kurama! Bokuma, don't you dare - !"

Bokuma struck out with a snarl and the barbed coils of his whip tore open the side of Hiei's arm. It was enough to make him lose his grip before he could get the link of his chain over the hook. Then Bokuma laughed. "Give it up, assassin. You've lost."

"No - !"

"Hiei, don't - !" Kurama began.

"Look to yourself, assassin!" Batsukuno snapped. "Your partner's fate is kind compared to your own." He lifted his gavel once again. "You, Jaganshi Hiei - "

"_Won't_ be going anywhere! _SPIRIT GUN!"_

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	15. Chapter 15 Proof

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 15 - Proof

A familiar blast of explosive blue-white energy slammed into the ground between the posts and the exit, knocking both Bokuma and Kurama off their feet, away from the door to damnation. Recovering his senses, Kurama looked up the stadium seating to welcome faces he had feared he would never see again.

High above, at one of the audience entrances, stood Yusuke and Kuwabara with Lord Koenma, Jorju, and Botan flanking them. In Kuwabara's arms huddled a little girl Kurama did not recognize. Yusuke had yet to lower his fists, hands poised for another shot. "Hey, there, chief. Good to see you again. Now I'm tellin' _you_ only once - release Hiei and Kurama!"

Kuwabara growled in anger at the sight of his friends' treatment. "Kurama! Hiei! Damn you, what have you done to them?"

His anger made the child squirm, cowering further against his shoulder. "He . . . he's here. He hurt me." Her soft, frightened words echoed through the sound-amplified room.

Bokuma climbed back to his feet with a snarl, hauling Kurama up by the chain of his shackles. "Who in the hells are you, humans?"

"Lord Koenma, what in the name of Inari are these humans doing in my courtroom?" Batsukuno demanded, outraged by the intrusion.

"Bearing the proof of Hiei's innocence!" Koenma shot back just as heatedly.

Across the room, Emperor Enma stood, speaking at last. "Koenma, explain yourself," he growled, his voice rumbling from deep within his barrel chest.

Kurama watched Koenma's face go sheet-white upon realizing that his father was here. He looked on the verge of passing out. "D-d-dad! W-What are you doing here?" he managed to squeak.

"That question has already been asked of _you_, son. Answer."

"Like he said," Yusuke put in angrily, "we're here to prove Hiei's innocence and to get him an' Kurama released from this joke of a trial."

"What?" Batsukuno raged. "How dare you - ?"

"Batsukuno," Enma interrupted. "Let them explain themselves. The solving of a crime against his kind is part of what the Spirit Detective does. If he thinks he has evidence contrary to yours, he has the right to present it."

Batsukuno did not appear to agree but he deferred to his emperor, turning back to Yusuke and company. "Approach and present your evidence. Bokuma, get the thief back here."

"A minor delay," Bokuma murmured as he hung his prisoner back on his post.

Hitting the floor, Yusuke marched straight to Bokuma. "Take them down - now."

Bokuma grinned. "Behave yourself, human, or _they_ will pay for your insolence." He uncoiled the whip and moved as though to strike Hiei.

"No - stop it!" Yusuke snarled, backing off. Bokuma only chuckled.

"You," Kuwabara glared. "You're Bokuma, aren't you?"

Looking over his shoulder, Kurama saw the little girl look up at Kuwabara. "No, please - he hurt you," she whispered in broken Japanese. It was then that Kurama realized the little girl was not human but youkai. The deep red bodysuit he had thought she was wearing under her patchwork dress was in fact her own flesh. Small white claws tipped the digits of her hands and bare feet. Large, luminous yellow eyes pleaded with Kuwabara from under the bangs of shoulder-length, unruly burgundy hair. Long, pointed ears flopped down from either side of her head.

"Don't worry, Akaibara," Kuwabara assured her. "No one's gonna hurt you while Kuwabara Kazuma's here!"

Batsukuno stared at the little girl. "That is an illusion beast, an immature one. Feh, don't tell me you're saying she - "

"No, you jerk, she didn't do it," Yusuke growled, "but she saw who did."

_Crack!_

Kurama stifled a cry of pain as Bokuma smirked at a fuming Yusuke. "Remember what I said about your insolence, human? I think your friend here would rather you be a little more respectful to our Chief Administrator."

Clenching his fists, Yusuke repeated stiffly through gritted teeth, "No, Mr. Chief Admin, _sir_, she's a witness."

The little girl had buried her head in Kuwabara's shoulder again at the sound of the whip, sobbing softly. Kuwabara drew his arms more tightly about her, shielding and comforting her. Batsukuno continued to stare at her in curiosity, finally descending the podium once again to approach. Kuwabara stepped back, turning her away protectively, as the chief admin drew near. "Human, put the youkai child down." To everyone's surprise, Batsukuno's voice was softer than any had yet heard.

Yusuke sidestepped defensively but stopped at a gesture from Koenma. "It's all right, Yusuke, Kuwabara. He won't hurt the child," he murmured, finding his voice again after the shock of seeing his father.

"Nooo, hurt me like others!" she protested. Reluctantly, Kuwabara set the little girl on her feet but kept a hold of her as she clung to his arm, cowering behind his leg. She barely reached his thigh in height.

Batsukuno knelt to come close to eye-level with the girl. "How well do you speak Japanese?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "Not good."

He glanced up at Jorju and spoke in Demongogian, "Oni, translate for the humans. I doubt they know our speech." Jorju nodded hesitantly. Continuing in the youkai language, he assured her, "It's all right. No one will hurt you here. Where did these humans find you?"

The girl's words were still childish but more understandable in her native tongue. "In the kitchen of Master Tarukane's house."

"What were you doing in the Human Realm?"

"Daddy served the Toguros and they were hired by Tarukane. I worked in the kitchen with the . . . the human staff." Her eyes teared up at the words.

"And everyone in the kitchen was killed. They were friends of yours, weren't they? Did you see who did it?" She glanced nervously in Kurama and Hiei's direction before nodding. "What did he look like?" Again, she hesitated, then pointed at Hiei. Batsukuno stood with a grunt. "Bah! Some witness you bring me, 'detective'. The child only proves - "

"No, no!" the girl put in quickly. "He looked like him but he didn't . . . didn't _look_ like him. He only _looked_ like him." One could see the earnestness in her eyes as she tried to explain.

"Was it a shape-changer?" Hiei put in, daring Bokuma to silence him.

"As if they are so commonplace," Batsukuno sniffed, waiting until after the crack of the lashes so Hiei would hear him. "Except for the rare youko, illusion beast, or - "

"Well, sure! Can't anyone?" the little girl asked at the same time. "But you hafta _look_ like 'em, too." To prove her point, she closed her eyes and concentrated. After a moment, a miniature Hiei stood in her place. She frowned up at Batsukuno and, in Hiei's voice, stated in clear frustration, "You're looking at me but you're not _seeing_ me. You hafta _see_ me. I look like him but I don't _look_ like him. See?" With a shudder, she reverted back to her natural form, swaying in exhaustion.

Botan frowned as Kuwabara quickly knelt to catch and steady her. "Poor thing. You've already used up so much of your energy today."

"You okay?" Kuwabara asked in concern as Jorju hastily finished his translation.

The little girl nodded, then looked up at Batsukuno, her eyes pleading. "Did you _see_?"

Batsukuno studied her for a moment, then looked to Koenma. "Lord Koenma, perhaps you can shed some light on the nonsense repetition this child is sputtering."

"Have you forgotten, then, one of the special abilities of illusion beasts, Lord Batsukuno?" Koenma asked, one eyebrow arched at his counterpart. "She possesses the unique ability known almost exclusively among her kind to be able to differentiate people based solely on their Yoki, much like a Human Realm canine can tell individuals apart purely by scent." He turned to the little girl, commenting pointedly. "Akaibara, that one there's name is Hiei. He looks like the one who murdered your friends yesterday but does he _look_ like him?"

Akaibara shook her head, then shyly met Hiei's eyes. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Mr. Hiei. I thought you had come back to kill me like you did the others. It wasn't till you left that I realized you weren't the one who came yesterday. I . . . I was scared. I'm sorry . . . " Tears filled her eyes again.

"How many kinds of shape-changers are there?" Yusuke wanted to know once Jorju had again caught them up on the discussion.

"It is a rare talent among youkai." Batsukuno glanced contemptuously over his shoulder at Kurama. "Youkos are known to develop the talent with age. Illusion beasts such as this child have the ability from very early on but their kind are not numerous. A few other species of youkai are known to be more prone than others to have an individual evidence the ability but, as I said, such a Yoki-talent is rare - and illusion beasts are the only ones known to be able to actually change the signature of their Yoki to further impersonate another. Usually such a fooling ability simply suppresses its presence - such as our thief here is known to be able to do. That one is not a common talent but it is not unknown." He knelt once again in front of the child, shifting so she could see the prisoners, and asked in Demongogian, "Little one, is the one who killed those humans in this room?" She nodded. "Can you point him out?" Another nod. "Show me who did this." The little girl hesitated in fear but pointed with certainty. Everyone startled at her choice. "The thief?" Batsukuno sputtered.

Kuwabara gripped her shoulders, not even waiting for Jorju's translation. "Akaibara, wait! That's our friend, Kurama - "

The girl shook her head, responding in Japanese. "No, no - not red hurt one. Big, angry, green one."

Kurama turned to look up at Bokuma. The cruel youkai only raised a condescending eyebrow at her but in his eyes was a hint of fear. Kurama growled. "I was right. It _was_ you!"

After an instant of initial disbelief, Hiei's eyes hardened in fury and he began climbing the pole again. "_YOU!_" he raged.

Batsukuno stood once more, absolutely scandalized. "Child, do you realize that you have just accused my right-hand man and the captain of my prison?" The girl shrank away from him into Kuwabara, tears running down her face. He paused for a moment, then shook his head. "The child is obviously traumatized and confused. I can see her choosing the only other person here on the floor - "

Sobs burst from the little girl as she fell to her knees. "I _told_ you he wouldn't believe me! No one ever believes me. But I saw him. It was _him_. He came and killed everyone. I looked all over the house after he left and everyone was dead. Tomoru, Kikyo, Achika, Yuko, Mr. Habani, Mrs. Gohan - everyone!" She buried her face in her hands, weeping uncontrollably as she grieved at last for her human friends. "I . . . I couldn't . . . couldn't stop him. I hid so he wouldn't find me. I couldn't help them. I wasn't strong enough. I wanted to stop him but I was too scared. But I remember him. I can't sleep because he hurts me in my dreams."

"Illusion beasts are as accurate as Human Realm bloodhounds in recognizing people on Yoki," Koenma put in softly. "She has no reason to lie. She did not know who Bokuma was before you told her."

"Her mind is not as strong as ours, Batsukuno," Kurama commented, his voice hard. "If you doubt her, search _her_ with a telepath. I picked up Bokuma's vile scent as soon as we stepped foot in Tarukane's mansion this morning."

"He's been after us ever since Maze Castle," Hiei snarled.

"Hey!" Yusuke growled. "Where'd that bastard go?"

Kurama glanced about, cursing silently. Like everyone else, his attention had been taken momentarily by the child's grief. Bokuma had disappeared.

Batsukuno looked around the room for his prison warden, then turned in frustration to the little girl. "Child, there is no doubt in your mind that his Yoki is what you saw yesterday?"

"Uh-huh. It was big and red and ugly and angry and really scary."

Batsukuno shook his head. "To my knowledge, Bokuma has no ability to shape-shift. He has no motive, either, to have gone to the Human Realm and commit this crime."

"Yes, he does," Hiei growled. "I just said he's been after us since we 'escaped' him."

"He is not one to allow his toys to get away easily," Kurama agreed. "Commit a crime pinned on either one of us and we are both back in his care - for good. You have said so yourself, Batsukuno. He was just waiting for an opportunity such as this."

"And now he's fled like the coward he is," Hiei finished in disgust.

"Humph," Kuwabara grunted. "If he were a _real_ man - "

Ignoring him, Batsukuno turned to his lord. "Emperor Enma, have _you_ any insight on this?"

Enma's rumbling voice filled the chamber once again. "Illusion beasts can identify youkai on their energy but this one is young enough that she could be mistaken. It is more believable that the assassin committed the crime - but then why has your warden fled? Without him here to compare to the girl's memories, she has already convinced herself that he is the culprit - a telepath would do no good. Only Inari knows now."

Batsukuno nodded. "Then there is only one other way I know to settle this once and for all. You - take them down and fetch their belongings." A few of the guards lining the wall left as the rest approached, releasing the prisoners from their posts while keeping their weapons leveled and ready. Hiei stumbled a step or two before catching himself, lowering his arms slowly as he fought once more to gain control over the spasms of agony rippling through his muscles. Kurama, too, had to concentrate for a moment to keep on his feet without swaying.

Batsukuno took each one by the wrists, psionically freeing them of their shackles. He waved his hand, then ripped the sealing card from Hiei's Jagan. Stepping back, he fixed them both with a stern eye. "As our imminent emperor has stated, only the gods know the truth and can prove it at this point. Wardens will return shortly with your weapons. You two are to find Bokuma and capture or kill him or yourselves be taken in the attempt."

"A trial by combat," Kurama murmured. Batsukuno nodded.

"Hey, what the hell . . . ?" Yusuke put in even before Jorju had finished translating. "You can't be serious? They're both pretty badly injured - no thanks to _you_, buddy! You can't possibly expect - "

Without taking his eyes off his prisoners, Batsukuno replied coldly, "Their level of disability is not my concern. If they are indeed innocent, Inari's blessing will provide a means of victory and I will personally ensure that they are both completely healed. Otherwise . . . Bokuma will return them to me."

"That is the nature of a trial by combat," Kurama explained softly, meeting Batsukuno's eyes without flinching. "The fight alone decides."

"Don't worry, detective," Hiei sneered. "We'll bring Bokuma back - each of us dragging half of his severed body."

"Eloquent as always," Kurama murmured, giving his friend a grim smile.

"But . . . how're you gonna find him?" Kuwabara wanted to know. "If he _can_ shapeshift, he could be anyone, anywhere."

"It's too dangerous to take Akaibara with you," Botan fretted, her hands on the little girl's shoulders.

"Not to worry - that will not be necessary." Kurama wrinkled his nose. "I could pick out his foul stench in the middle of a sewer. He fled that way." He pointed to the door through which they had entered.

"Give me your arm, thief." Reluctantly, Kurama did. Batsukuno locked a small bracer around his wrist. "This will give you access anywhere you need to go. If anyone attempts to hinder you, show them this." He continued with a wry grin, holding up a similar band on his own arm, "It is also a tracer. You cannot simply slip away. I know exactly where you are at all times, regardless of realm. And if _you_ think of pulling the same stunt you did last night," Batsukuno added, turning to Hiei, "I promise that there will not be enough left of him to rescue this time."

"Lord Batsukuno." An oni guard approached carrying a scabbarded sword. "Here is the assassin's blade. The thief's weapon-plants were already disposed."

"Hmph," Koenma sniffed derisively. "I anticipated as much. Good thing -I- thought ahead." He produced two roses from under his hat. "An extra one for luck."

Kurama nodded. "Once again, I am indebted to your foresight, Lord Koenma."

"Just make sure you come back alive - both of you." He gave them a grim smile. "Give that monster his due. He's owed you two for way too long, now."

"We will not fail," Kurama promised darkly.

"Chh, we've delayed too long already," Hiei groused. "We need to leave - now."

"Agreed."

"Hey! What -? Wait for us!" Yusuke called but the thief and assassin were already on the move.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	16. Chapter 16 Path of the Beast

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 16 - The Path of the Beast

_Like the wilderness, we're now Fighting to Dream.  
Burying despair and such,  
We run fiercely, swiftly down the path of the beast.  
Becoming the wind, we're now Shooting to Dream.  
Our desire is freedom.  
We can't deceive our own hearts.  
It's truth!_

_With my heart like this, I'm just Fighting to Dream.  
I won't let anyone get in my way.  
We can decide things like fate for ourselves.  
Like the wind, we're just Shooting to Dream.  
Cutting off the pain of the past,  
We now decide the future with our own hands.  
Get a chance!_

"Wild Wind" - Kurama & Hiei, Legend of Yu Yu Hakusho:  
"Sai-Kyou" Best Selection Album

Dashing through the door and up the long flight of stairs, Hiei let Kurama lead them, following the scent trail. Through Administration, several clerks and guards moved to stop them but let them through at the sight of Kurama's bracer. To his dismay if not his surprise, the trail led into the prison proper. Deeper and deeper they delved until they realized that they were heading for the Pit. "Of course we'd be chasing a snake right back into its hole," he growled.

"'Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly.'" Kurama grimaced. Hiei had heard his friend use that comment before and thought he remembered Kurama telling him it was English in origin.

Cell 137 came and went as they raced down the accursed corridor. Gaining the bend in the tunnel, they pulled up short of the forbidding portal to the Pit itself. They could both hear the horrific sounds of the abominations beyond.

Kurama paused. "Hiei, there is one thing I must advise you." Hiei looked up at him quizzically. Kurama's hard emerald gaze had not turned from the door before them. His next words nearly left Hiei speechless. "Bokuma is to be taken alive."

"What?" Hiei gaped. "Kurama, if this is some mercy sentiment - "

"No, my friend. You misunderstand me." The softness with which Kurama spoke cut him off without further objection. Hiei had never heard such a tone in his friend's voice. Kurama turned to look at him then and something in that gaze made Hiei suppress a shudder. "Bokuma _must_ be taken alive. Death would be far too easy an escape. He must be made to answer for his crimes, against those humans . . . and against _us_."

Hiei had not known Kurama before he had become part human but he had heard plenty of stories of the infamous Silver Fox. He had never quite been able to match those images with his soft-spoken friend but, for the first time, he saw a hint of the cruel, merciless youko in the emerald eyes he had thought he knew so well. Kurama repeated in a tone of no uncertain terms, "We . . . take him . . . alive."

A slow grin slid across Hiei's face. He should have known that Kurama - his spirit brother - would not let him down. He nodded. "Agreed."

"Then let us continue on." Pulling one rose from under his hair, he passed the stem into the keyhole. Thorns burst out in all directions, ruining the lock. Kurama shoved the door open.

8 8 8 8 8

Once again, the sights, sounds, and smells of the Pit threatened to overwhelm Kurama's acute senses. The memories of last night's horrors spiraled back up at him through the smoke and fires and he saw that even Hiei hesitated for just an instant. Kurama was forced to pause and center himself once again before following Hiei, plunging down the brief stairs to the chamber floor. From all around, guards and torturers turned from their work to stare in shock at the intruders. No one ever came here of his own volition.

"Ooh! Ooh! What have we here?" a familiar voice twittered from the other side of a wooden structure. "Come back to play again so soon, Red Rabbit? And it looks like you even brought a friend - Ah, good to see you again, Little Fire-Eyes. It's been too long, too long indeed." Dog lumbered around from the front of the structure, patting his victim with a murmur. "Be good and stay right there. I'll be right back." The squat youkai grinned at them both as though welcoming old friends to tea, a cooling iron poker and large pincers forgotten in his fists.

"Where is Bokuma?" Kurama demanded, wanting to leave the place as soon as could be achieved, ignoring the glares of hate and agony all around him.

Dog bounced from one foot to another, dropping the instruments to clap his hands in glee. "Ah! A game, then, is it? Oh, he does love games. Hide-and-Seek is his favorite." Dog paused. "Wait a minute. Now this is a new twist, though, isn't it? Usually he does the seeking. We didn't play that game with you, did we, Rabbit? Oh, but Fire-Eyes, you should remember the game!"

Hiei's eyes went wide. "That . . . that beast? That was Bokuma all along?"

Dog chuckled madly. "He only shows that to his most favorite toys. I'm sure you'll get to see it, too, Rabbit. So, come, come - what shall we start with?" He bent to retrieve his implements. From around the room, several guards had already begun to close in.

"You insane fool! We're not here for - !" Hiei snarled.

"Wait," Kurama interrupted, holding up the bracer. The guards stopped, murmuring and confused. He turned to Dog. "We have already started. As you said, we are in a game of Hide-and-Seek with Bokuma. He decided to try something new. This time, we are chasing him. Did he come through here?"

Hiei glanced up at him. -_What? Lose his scent?_-

Kurama grimaced. -_This place makes a sewer seem like an herb garden. There are simply too many things going on here, all of them very thick and heavy._-

Dog was chortling again. "Oh, you must know that I can't answer that. That would spoil the game!"

"That way! He went that way!"

Kurama turned to see who had spoken or where he pointed. He looked in time to see a torturer slam his elbow into his victim's face. The already badly-injured oni slumped unconscious against his chains.

"Never mind, Kurama," Hiei growled. "I know where he went. Come on."

Dog waved after them. "Have fun! Come back soon!"

Hiei sped through the chambers of the Pit, darting around equipment and past prisoners pleading for help. Kurama kept close on his heels, focusing on his friend so that he did not get dizzy with the horrors around him nor his own memories and present pain. It did not help that the back he was following was nearly as whiplashed as his own. Kurama noted, too, that Hiei's left hand was tucked into his pants pocket - and the shoulder was not stable as he ran.

At the very end of the short system of caves opened a chasm the bottom of which was beyond either one's vision, the opposite side hundreds of feet away. A narrow ledge stretched along the near wall some fifty feet below them. The slope down to the ledge was steep but not so severe as to be unmanageable - for someone in top shape.

Hiei stood staring at the shelf below and Kurama could not help wondering what memories were playing behind those ruby eyes. The resigned sigh in his mannerism was almost audible. "The game was simple. The system of caverns down there is like a labyrinth. Supposedly somewhere is a permanent portal to the Demon Realm. Find it and you'd escape the Pit for good. You don't have to worry about getting lost and wandering until you starve to death, though. There's a monster down there which will find you and bring you back here - _after_ it's played with you itself for a few hours."

"And according to the warden, that monster is actually Bokuma," Kurama murmured. Hiei just scowled. "What can we expect?"

"The only light is from the occasional lichen or mushroom bed. In parts, moss and slime make each step likely to break an ankle."

Kurama nodded with a sly grin. "That could work to our advantage."

"Some areas are frozen in ice, others heated by a lava flow. The vermin are plentiful enough. There are all kinds of traps, too. None of them are designed to kill, just capture or injure. Bokuma's not terribly creative. I've memorized where most of them are."

Kurama refrained from asking just how Hiei had found them to begin with. "And Bokuma's beast form? What does it look like? What is it capable of?"

"It's the size of a Demon Realm plains-runner or a Human Realm elephant. It's powerful, fast, and cunning. Long fangs, longer claws - watch out for the tail. There's a stinger with a slow-acting poison. It won't kill you but it makes it hard to fight until your body works the stuff out of its system. In the meantime, the beast has caught you and you will _wish_ the poison would kill you." With that, he stepped off the edge and began a controlled slide to the shelf below. Shaking his head with a sigh, Kurama followed.

Both managed to keep their feet under them without too much trouble until they reached the ledge. The only light down here was what little spilled from the Pit above. Once again, Kurama was forcefully reminded of his disadvantages in being part human. Some youkai could see in total or near-total darkness. Hiei was one. As a full-blooded youko, he could too, once. His vision now was far sharper than a normal human's but he would still have to rely on Hiei to be his eyes down here. At least he still had his sense of smell. "He went that way." He pointed to their right.

Hiei realized his friend's handicap as well. "You can't see at all, can you?"

"Is there anything phosphorescent down here that you know of?"

Hiei nodded, taking Kurama's hand and setting it on his shoulder. That done, he turned to his left, moving along the wall. Kurama matched him step for step. They traveled so for several long minutes in silence, Hiei occasionally sending Kurama a telepathic warning to step around a rock or over a split across their path. At length, he grunted. _-This is taking too long! I could just _show_ you the path.-_

Kurama understood what he meant. With their ability to communicate telepathically, Hiei could simply open his mind enough for Kurama to "see" through his eyes. Kurama shook his head. _-Thank you but no. That would require too much of you. Save your energy for when it is truly needed. Defeating Bokuma is not going to be easy for either of us, not in the states we are both in.-_ Hiei only grunted in response, unable to argue the point no matter how much he hated to admit it. Kurama could feel ripples of the pain Hiei was experiencing echoing across their link - and that was to say nothing of his own hurt.

Presently, Hiei took a turn and Kurama was suddenly aware of a dim orange glow somewhere ahead. They had left the shelf of the abyss. Hiei led the way around a bend into another part of the cave. The walls were slick with moisture and a layer of something luminescent. "Will this work?" Hiei murmured.

"Yes, this should do just fine. Thank you." Kurama dug the tips of his fingers into the moss, scooping some onto the back of his left arm above the bracer. He startled as he realized the ache in his right hand eased everywhere the moss touched the skin, the luminance dimming. Subconsciously, he had recognized the property and tapped it with his Yoki. "Apparently, it has analgesic properties, as well."

"Ana-what?"

Kurama chuckled. "It's a pain-killer." He scraped the edge of his hand along the wall, scooping up more of the stuff, then looked at Hiei. "Turn around."

Hiei shook his head. "Thank you, no. I don't need to be a walking light bulb."

"No, no, look - accessing its analgesic property destroys the phosphorescence." Hiei frowned at him as though he had just spoken a foreign language but slowly turned to allow Kurama to apply the moss, watching curiously over his shoulder. Kurama set his palm gingerly against the torn flesh and fed the moss Yoki, nodding in satisfaction as it grew in response to his silent command and spread to cover the wounds. The phosphorescence faded out as it did so. Under his hand, Kurama felt some of the tension ease from his friend's muscles. Hiei rolled his shoulders and gave Kurama a curt nod, his way of saying thanks. Kurama smeared some over the welt on the back of Hiei's head, then applied a handful to his own injured shoulder, willing it to extend down across his back. He relaxed a little as the whipfire eased, allowing him to breath more freely. "That will improve our mobility."

Hiei shook his head with a wry grin. "Trust you to find something useful in this gods-forsaken hole."

Kurama smiled back. "Help and harm can both be plentiful if you just know how to recognize them." He turned his attention to the patch of moss on his arm. The only wound there was the chafing around his wrist from the shackle but the bracer separated that from the moss. Kurama concentrated and the luminance brightened and dimmed by degrees according to his wish. He nodded again. "This will work nicely. Let us continue."

Hiei led the way back out of the cave and onto the ledge, this time going right to return the way they had come. Despite keeping the phosphorescence of the moss relatively dim, Kurama could now see the path. He could not decide which was more disconcerting - being completely blind or having sight just enough to know that there existed a whole deep and dangerous world beyond his limited field of vision. He could see a few steps ahead but would be unaware of dangers until they were already on top of him. He dared not brighten the glow, however, unwilling to attract any more attention than was needed. He would have to continue to trust Hiei to warn him of threats, the full youkai's sight still far superior in this environment.

Neither looked up as they passed beneath the Pit once more, the distant screams of the tortured echoing weirdly off the rock in the otherwise deathlike stillness. They pressed on for several minutes in silence, moving with a careful mixture of haste and caution, until the sound of a falling stone stopped them both in their tracks. The echoing made it all but impossible to tell if the sound came from behind, ahead, or across the chasm from them but a sharp intake of breath from Hiei made Kurama turn and look the way they had come. Distantly, he thought he could make out an illumination around the curve of the rock wall. _-Have you ever known Bokuma to use a light?-_ Kurama queried, his mental voice tight with unease.

-_Sometimes, at his whim_,- Hiei frowned, equally disquieted. -_We can't be caught here. Come on._- Hiei did not comment further but Kurama received mental flashes of a slender stretch of stone arcing across the abyss. Presently, that bridge came into view, the span between the walls much less here, perhaps seventy or eighty feet. Hiei continued to lead, explaining, -_On the other side is where most of the labyrinth is. Half the game the first time around is finding this bridge. It's thin, though - brittle. One of these days, Bokuma is going to have to build a new bridge - or find a new playground. Damn!_- he swore suddenly, skidding to a stop about a third of the way across. Kurama held his arm up and willed the moss a little brighter, lips tightening to a thin line as he saw what had stopped his friend. Deep cracks spiderwebbed the arc for much of its length, whole chunks of rock missing here and there. It looked as though the apex could crumble at a slight breeze. Hiei growled audibly as he commented, -_Either this bridge has been well-used in the past several weeks . . . or Bokuma is setting us up again!_-

-_I would believe either one at this point_,- Kurama nodded. -_There is no place for us to make a stand on this side?_- Hiei shook his head, scowling deeply. -_Then we have no choice. We simply continue - and pray._-

Hiei started across once more but a hand on his shoulder stayed him. -_Hiei, wait! I have an idea_.- Kurama pulled both roses from under his hair. He knelt with one in each hand, pressing them to the rock on either side of his foot. As Yoki flowed into the roses, they transformed, lengthening and wrapping themselves back and forth along the arc, fleshy feelers taking the place of the thorns to further braid together and hold the loose stone segments in place. Kurama stood and Hiei just stared at him for a moment. Kurama grinned. -_Versatility is one of the primary conditions for a Quest Class ranking_.-

Hiei shook his head with a lopsided grin, his arms crossed. -_The longer I know you, the less I realize I know _about_ you_.-

Kurama accepted the rare compliment with a gracious grin of his own. _-The support is thinly stretched but it will provide some measure of stability_.- He glanced over his shoulder. The glow had brightened. Whatever was coming was drawing ever nearer. -_Let us go.-_

They had crossed more than half the bridge when another sound stopped them. A distant cracking noise echoed from high above. Seconds later, Hiei backed into Kurama as something large whizzed downward in front of him, narrowly missing the bridge. -_Stalactite!_- Kurama gasped, recognizing the huge shard of rock.

-_Stella - ?_- Hiei frowned, never having had the benefit of elementary-school science.

-_Rock icicles. They do not simply break free on their own! But if Bokuma is above us . . . ?_- Kurama glanced again uncertainly at the glow as they continued more quickly.

-_On occasion, he brings help_,- Hiei growled. Another crack resounded through the abyss. Kurama looked up but could not see into the blackness. Hiei could. "Kurama, look out!" Hiei shoved Kurama back a few steps as another stalactite dropped. This one clipped Hiei's leg and the bridge, breaking away the rock under Hiei's foot.

"_HIEI!_" Kurama dropped flat to the stone as his friend fell, barely catching Hiei's wrist in his right hand. He gasped as the dead weight threatened to dislocate his shoulder again, the hand spasming in pain. Hiei, too, grunted, the knife wound screaming through their minds across the telepathic link. _Wounded arm to wounded arm_, Kurama thought, grimacing. _How ironic_. A cold sweat had broken out on Hiei's face as he looked up at his friend. Kurama gave him a grim smile, joking, -_Don't think you are getting out of this that easily_.-

Hiei grinned back. -_Who said I wanted out? . . . Kurama!_-

Kurama shifted to look back along the bridge. Another chunk had loosened from the side of the arc, ripping free of the rose-rope's feelers. The rope snapped as the rock fell and Kurama knew that the rest of the bridge was just moments from following.

-_Kurama, let me go.-_

Kurama looked down in shock at Hiei - his closest friend, one of the very few in all of his centuries that he had ever truly come to consider family. -_What? N-no!_-

-_You can't save us both! Do it!-_

Kurama hesitated. He knew Hiei was right. Still . . . _Gods, no! It can't end like this!_

-_Kurama, move!_-

"Kurama!" Another voice shouted his name but Kurama was not listening. Feverishly, he tried to think what to do but both of his roses were in use, the only things holding the bridge together at this point - and they were failing. One was already damaged. He felt the stone shift under his weight as he tightened his grip on his friend, his brother. _Is there nothing more I can do? Gods above and below, don't let it end this way! Help us!_

The stones under his shoulders and chest gave way, the rose ropes unraveling from around them. _Oh, gods . . . !_

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	17. Chapter 17 Into the Lion's Den

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 17 – Into the Lion's Den

As the stones beneath his upper body dropped away, Kurama twisted and grabbed the nearest length of rose-rope with his free hand, refusing to release his grip on Hiei. He realized too late that it was the broken, unanchored rope.

"Kurama!" Hiei had caught the end of the other rope as it fell past with the rocks.

Kurama sent his Yoki into the plants, willing them to intertwine for strength, at the same time looking back to see how much of the one's length still gripped solid stone - only scant inches, at best. Then the rope snapped taut, their combined weight ripping free the sparse roots. Kurama could try to reform the ropes into a whip but there was no stable rock with a surface around which he could wrap the lash. He closed his eyes. He and Hiei were not going to make it after all.

"Yusuke!"

Kurama looked back up at Hiei's exclamation.

Spirit Sword in one hand, gripping Yusuke's arm wrist-to-wrist with the other, Kuwabara stood braced back against the rock wall. Yusuke was down on one knee at the edge of the shelf with his free arm out. "Kurama! Your Rose Whip!"

There was no time to argue. The undamaged rope transformed into a long whip without thorns and Kurama cracked it expertly, wrapping the end up Yusuke's arm. Both humans grunted, locking their stances, as they took the sudden weight of their friends. The two youkai swung like a pendulum, slamming into the wall of the chasm. Kurama hesitated, momentarily stunned out of his senses by the impact, before returning his attention to the whip. The plant contracted, shortening to pull its load back up from the depths. Soon, Kurama was able to lift Hiei up next to himself, ignoring the fire in his shoulder it caused. Yusuke let go of Kuwabara to take Hiei's other hand and pull him to the safety of the shelf. Kuwabara took Kurama's freed hand and he and Yusuke lifted up the thief.

Kuwabara leaned back on the rock wall, wiping sweat from his brow. "Woah, man, that was _way_ too close!"

Hiei cocked an eye at the two humans. "What the hells are you doing down here?"

"And how did you manage to find us?" Kurama added.

"Not easily," Kuwabara groaned, rubbing his temple. Kurama guessed that the human had followed their Yoki.

"Don't say guys never ask for directions!" Yusuke laughed even as he rubbed the long welt spiraling up his arm from the whip. "So what's that crap all over your back, anyway?"

"A healing agent of sorts, and - sorry," Kurama murmured, frowning at Yusuke's wound.

"Nah, don't worry about it. It was my _brilliant_ idea," Yusuke shrugged. "There's nothin' else you coulda grabbed hold of."

"True," Kurama conceded. He looked back at the ruined bridge, then down at the roses in his hand. One was missing nearly half its stem. The other was intact, though the strength of the stem wall was compromised, the flower head drooping nearly upside-down.

Kuwabara guffawed suddenly at the sight. "Hey, Kurama, looks like your rose's gone all limp on ya!"

"Sounds like a personal problem," Yusuke rejoined, chuckling.

Kurama sighed, pointedly ignoring the innuendos. "They are still useable." He turned to Hiei who stood scowling at the remains of the bridge, fists jammed into his pockets. "There is no other way across?" Hiei shook his head, turning his eyes to the ceiling of the chasm. "Kuwabara, can you sense anything? We think Bokuma was above us among the stalactites."

Both humans looked up, though they could see even less than Kurama. At length, Kuwabara shook his head. "Nuh-uh, whoever was up there must be long gone by now."

"Hn," Hiei snorted. "He's a fool if he thinks he's rid of us so easily."

"No," Kurama murmured, voice and eyes hard as he stared across the chasm at the tunnel opening from the other end of the bridge. "No doubt he is well aware of our survival and is biding his time till the next game."

"Fine. Then let's not keep him waiting." Hiei pulled his katana and threw it across the chasm, burying the blade nearly to the crossguard in the rock at the base of the ruined bridge. Kuwabara dug in his own sword at their feet and Kurama reformed his Rose Whip, catching the hilt of Hiei's sword with the lash end and tying off the handle end to the Spirit Sword. Hiei moved to cross, then stopped, turning to Yusuke and Kuwabara. "You two had better turn back now. This is no place for humans."

"Huh? Hey, what the hell - ?"

"Why you ungrateful little shrimp!" Kuwabara sputtered. "After we saved - !"

Kurama put up a hand to stay the protests. "Kuwabara, Yusuke, forgive me but I'm afraid that Hiei is right. Please, try to understand - what lies beyond is dangerous in ways neither of you have ever experienced . . . and I would prefer that you never do."

Kuwabara folded his arms with a huff. From Hiei, the opinion was an insult but Kurama he would listen to, even if he did not agree. Yusuke, however, met Kurama's eyes unflinchingly, a big grin on his face as he shook his head. "Heh, thanks for the concern but . . . no deal, fox-boy. No _way_ we're lettin' you guys have all the fun."

"Yeah, that's right!" Kuwabara rejoined. "We're a team and teams stick together."

"If you guys are in trouble," Yusuke reiterated, holding Kurama's gaze with his own, "you're not gonna face it alone. Heh, we won't _let_ ya! Deal?" He held out his hand.

Hiei could only stare at him, an odd look in his eyes. Kurama hesitated but a moment before speaking for both of them, his tone heartfelt. "Yes, deal." He took Yusuke's hand, extending his other to Kuwabara. "Thank you - both of you."

"Heehee, yeah, what he said!" Kuwabara pumped Kurama's arm heartily. Kurama was just glad it was his _left_ arm.

"Chh. Do any of you mind if we get moving then?" Hiei complained. No one was fooled by his outward annoyance.

Hiei ran lightly across the thornless tightrope. The other three did not trust their balance nearly so much, choosing to hang and climb hand-over-fist along their tenuous bridge. Kuwabara was the last to cross in case his concentration was interrupted somehow and the Spirit Sword dispersed. Once all were safely across, he released the energies, also freeing Kurama's Rose Whip. At last, they turned to the tunnel that would lead them to Bokuma.

"So," Yusuke breathed, staring into the blackness in some apprehension, "what's in there exactly?"

Hiei reiterated his warning to Kurama. "Basically, don't touch anything," he concluded wryly.

"Hey, why're you lookin' at me like that, Shorty?"

Kurama stepped between them before a fight could break out. "Hiei's vision is superior to any of the rest of us in this darkness. Hiei, take point, then Yusuke, Kuwabara, and I will bring up the rear. The air is moving into the tunnel from the chasm, putting us downwind of anyone or anything behind us. If something should try to sneak up on us, I will know it. Also, we will need to stagger ourselves. Do not walk directly behind one another or down the center of the tunnel when there is enough room. It would be inadvisable for us to conveniently line ourselves up for any attacks." He allowed a small smile in spite of himself at a thought as he added, "Not like Byakko's monsters did back in Maze Castle."

Kuwabara grinned, cracking his knuckles proudly. "Yeah, my Spirit Sword Monster Beast Donut was so cool!"

Yusuke nodded. "Sounds fair enough . . . but ya think we could risk a little more light? Hey, Kuwabara, can you make your Spirit Sword into - oh, I don't know - a Spirit Pocket Knife or something? Something that won't give us away to the whole underworld?"

"No," Hiei argued. "_Any_ light will - "

Kurama sighed. "True, any light will draw attention but we must make some allowance. Hiei, you are the only one among us who can see down here with no light at all. Yusuke and Kuwabara will be completely blind and, honestly, my vision is not that much better, not enough to make the difference. Scout a little ahead of us, enough that the light does not impair your own vision, but not so far that you are too removed from backup in case something should happen. Five to six meters should be plenty." Reluctantly, Hiei nodded.

Yusuke looked at Kurama in surprise. "I take it you've done this kinda thing before, haven't you?"

A pinched expression overtook Kurama's face for a moment as memories of another lifetime played through his mind. "I have done many things in my time. Come, let us continue on."

Yusuke paused for just a moment, as if wondering what Kurama meant by that. Then he shook his head, Kurama seeing in his eyes the decision not to press him on it – or at least not yet.

Hiei turned and strode into the tunnel, turning his back on the chasm. Kuwabara hesitated just long enough to re-summon his Spirit Sword, a tiny blade in his hand giving off as little light as he could manage without extinguishing it entirely. It looked almost comical in his huge fist. Then he followed Yusuke several feet behind Hiei, Kurama just a step behind them.

The air turned chill and stale as the group made its way down the corridor. Kurama strained his ears, listening for any small sound beyond the soft breathing of his companions, knowing he would hear or smell trouble much sooner than he would spot it. Rather, trouble found them even sooner than he had anticipated as Hiei disappeared from view around a bend in the tunnel and they heard a soft snap and Hiei's sharp breath of surprise. The others quickened their pace.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Kuwabara wanted to know as they rounded the bend to an empty expanse of corridor.

"Why don'tcha look up?" Yusuke snickered, pointing. Kuwabara and Kurama did.

Twin ruby orbs glinted in the darkness. Kuwabara willed his sword a little brighter, then nearly fell over laughing. Hiei glared down at them from some ten feet above their heads, hanging upside-down from a snare that had caught his foot.

"Heh, heh - who's the idiot now, Tiny?" Kuwabara teased. He chucked Yusuke on the arm. "Hey, I kinda like 'im from this angle. Think we can just leave 'im like that? Serves 'im right!"

Hiei snorted. His left arm continued to hang at an odd angle as he drew his sword with his right and curled upwards to cut his ankle free. Twisting, he landed briefly on Kuwabara's head before flipping to the ground.

"Hey!" Kuwabara growled, turning to face Hiei. "What's the big idea - ?" He stopped.

Hiei had dropped his sword and crouched on one knee, frozen with pain. His arm dangled at his side, the elbow rotated out unnaturally, limp fingers brushing the ground, as he gripped his wounded shoulder. Kurama knelt by his side immediately.

"Hiei, what's wrong with your arm?" Kuwabara queried as fresh blood seeped up through the carpeting layer of moss from an indent in the back of his shoulder.

"Ah, hell!" Yusuke swore. "It's that knife wound from the kitchen, isn't it?"

Kurama had coaxed Hiei's hand away, easing the shoulder joint back into position. "One of the muscles is torn if not severed. Without its support, his shoulder joint is unstable and his arm useless."

"I'm fine," Hiei snarled through gritted teeth. He snatched his sword back up and shoved stiffly to his feet.

Yusuke shook his head. "We need to go back. You - " He stopped at the deep fury in Hiei's pain-riddled eyes.

"No! We're here for Bokuma. _That_ is the only thing that matters right now."

"Trial by combat," Kurama breathed, his tone shaded with disgust. "The rule is that we fight as we are. Justice will be determined by victory. It is the only way left to clear ourselves. Neither of us can back out. Hiei can still maneuver and wield a sword. He must fight just as I must."

"Well, of all the stupid . . . Not alone, you're not!" Yusuke swore.

"We will see," Kurama responded grimly.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Ten to fifteen minutes had passed since the group reshuffled and continued on. Kurama now led, with Hiei as rearguard, telepathically advising Kurama which path to choose when forks and side passages presented options. The reasoning which Kurama had spoken aloud for Yusuke and Kuwabara's sakes was that, as a professional thief, he had far more experience with spotting and disarming traps than the rest of them combined. His darkvision was not up to snuff with Hiei's but the moss he carried provided more than enough light for him to operate. He had already helped the group avoid several obstacles. However, he confirmed his suspicions, his true reason, with Hiei telepathically, not wanting to further embarrass his friend in front of the humans. Kurama had known that Hiei was in a great deal of pain but had not realized that it was more than the whiplashes and the knife wound. He also had a mild concussion from the head injury. He suffered from nausea, a pounding headache, and slightly blurred vision that had prevented him from spotting the tripwire he had broken. The group could not afford any more such mistakes, as Hiei had warned him that the traps further along would have much greater consequences than the first.

_Speaking of tripwires_, Kurama thought as he slowed to a stop. He listened to the others catch up as he surveyed the stretch of tunnel before him. At his feet was strung a tripwire from wall to wall, about a hand's breadth from the ground and surprisingly visible. Willing his moss brighter, he spotted an identical wire across the corridor some twenty feet ahead of him. _They did not even try to conceal these_, Kurama marveled. _Even a completely blinded victim would feel this across his ankle before breaking it if he were being cautious enough._

Yusuke looked over his shoulder, spotting the wires as easily as Kurama had. "Well, well, look at that. Someone'd hafta be pretty stupid to fall for those snares."

"Well, what're ya waitin' for, Kurama?" Kuwabara wanted to know. "Ya found another trap. Just step over it and keep goin'."

Kurama shook his head. "No. Something is not right. This is _too_ obvious."

Hiei pushed past to Kurama's side. "Hn. Kurama was right. He _does_ have more sense about this sort of thing than the two of you combined."

Kurama shook his head at them before either could respond to the insult. "Hiei, do you remember this one?"

_-Show me-_

Kurama did so, allowing Hiei to see with more clarity than he could on his own. Hiei nodded. "Get back." When the others had withdrawn a few paces, Hiei drew his sword, took a step back, and broke the near tripwire.

TWANG!

Two spring-loaded steel spikes shot into the ground at angles from the walls - one just inches from the near wire, the other inches to this side of the far wire. "_Now_ it is safe to cross," Hiei declared.

Kurama stepped back up beside Hiei. The spikes had disturbed the dust across the ground just enough for him to make out a shallow seam across the floor, the spike lodged in at its center. Just then, Kurama noted the faint, curving scrape marks on the walls. _Ah, now I understand._

"Okay, I'll bite and be the stupid one to ask," Yusuke huffed. "What the hell just happened?"

"Between this wire and the other one, the section of floor is hinged from below to swivel upon a center fulcrum. With no weight on it, the panel balances perfectly and blends with the floor. If you step over and do not trip the wire, the floor will tip from under your foot like a giant see-saw and drop you into a pit or some other fate below. Tripping a wire from either direction causes the spikes to fire, wedging the floor in place for safe passage."

Yusuke gaped at Kurama in disbelief. "You . . . you got all _that_ from . . . ?"

Kurama smiled. "It's all right, Yusuke. As I have said, I have long experience with such things."

Kuwabara stood scratching his head. "Well, then, how'd Bokuma get across?"

Yusuke made a face. "Probably turned into a giant spider and climbed the ceiling or something. Come on."

As they pressed forward, Hiei called softly from behind, "Be careful. Somewhere between here and the next chasm, the floor is trapped with - "

"Yipes!" Yusuke gasped as Kuwabara pulled him back from a hole that broke open under his foot.

" - foot spikes," Hiei finished with a groan.

Kuwabara knelt, bringing down his Spirit Knife. The pit was only knee-deep but the floor and walls bristled with short spikes - nothing lethal but more than enough to incapacitate the foot that met them. "Man, this guy just does not play nice, does he?"

"Playing nice has never been a goal of his," Kurama frowned. "As Hiei explained, Bokuma enjoys toying with his prey before returning them to the Pit. This whole cave system is nothing but a playground for him. He thinks nothing of injuring or ensnaring his toys along the way."

Kurama studied the ground intently, learning what to look for in the uneven formations of rock, then taught Yusuke and Kuwabara how to spot them. The group avoided several more covered pits along the path as they continued on their way.

Presently, the tunnel ended on another small chasm, the rushing of water filling their ears from an unseen depth at the bottom of the ravine. The air here was cold and damp, the rock surfaces tricky from lichens and other fungal growth. A rope hung down over the center of the chasm's expanse, passing through a hole in a small plank of wood at its base and knotted underneath it. Across from them was a wide shelf, another cave entrance opening a dozen yards to their right and slightly lower on the wall. The swing swayed gently as though recently used.

"Hey, Bokuma musta _just_ gone through here!" Kuwabara exclaimed. "C'mon! If we hurry, maybe we can catch 'im an' be outta here before we all starve to death."

"Kuwabara, wait - " Kurama tried to warn him.

"Naw, it's gotta be all right if Bokuma just used it. Last one across is rotten sashimi!" As the swing arced near, Kuwabara leaped out and caught the rope, planting both feet on the wood plank. "Heehee! Lookit me - I'm Tarzan!" he bellowed as he swung, leaped and landed safely on the other side. His voice echoed alarmingly along the ravine walls.

_Well_, Kurama thought with a grimace, _it's not as though Bokuma does not already know we're here_.

He could see the unspoken question in Hiei's eyes – _What in the hells is a tarzan? – _ before he shook his head with a muttered "Idiot!" He turned and shrugged before Kurama could ask. "I've never trusted that swing." He backpedaled several paces to take a running start, leaping the ravine cleanly.

"Well . . . I don't know about you, Kurama, but I'm no grasshopper. No way I can make that jump." Yusuke sprang out to catch the rope, swinging across without incident.

Kurama could see no choice. He considered clinging to the rope and keeping his feet off the plank but did not trust his shoulders to bear the full weight of his body, not with one having been dislocated so recently. It had been hard enough holding on to Hiei earlier. He leaped, putting both feet on the plank to bear his weight.

RRRRIIIPPPP!

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	18. Chapter 18 Chutes and Ladders

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 18 – Chutes and Ladders

"Kurama!" Hiei gasped in horror.

Kurama was falling before he could more securely grip the smooth rope and the end of it slipped free of his hands, friction-burning his palms. He snatched a rose from under his hair. "Rose Whip!" he called, desperately praying he could entangle the remainder of the swing's rope. The whip barely caught before he had fallen too far and it would not reach. The thorns kept the whip from slipping off the rope's finely-twined surface.

The others were leaned over the edge. "You okay? What happened?" Yusuke wanted to know.

Kurama shook his head, not having an answer just yet. Again, he willed the plant to contract, pulling him back up to the end of the rope. He took a moment to study it, scowling. Then, he swung and joined his companions on the other side of the chasm, massaging his chafed hands.

Kuwabara stared at him apologetically. "I-I don't get it. It worked fine for us."

"It was rigged so as not to give with the first person to use it," Kurama explained. "Most of the rope's thickness just below the plank was severed cleanly through. I suspect a small blade of some kind may have been mounted to the underside of the swing. It was only a matter of time before the remaining strands were too few to bear a person's weight and snapped." He met Kuwabara's eyes fully, catching and holding his gaze. "We must all be more cautious of anything we encounter down here. Absolutely nothing is to be trusted."

"Heh . . . yeah, duly noted," Yusuke murmured. Kuwabara did not respond but the look in his eyes was enough for Kurama.

"Come on," Hiei told them. "The next trap is just up ahead."

They slid several times along the fungal carpet of the shelf to the next tunnel mouth. Once inside, they could scrape their feet free of the slippery stuff before continuing on. This new tunnel had several forks and side passages as well and Hiei took the lead once again, choosing the way with certainty. Several dozen yards in, Yusuke leaned over to whisper, "Uh . . . hey, Hiei? You said there was another trap - ?"

Hiei waved him off. "You'll see."

Yusuke exchanged glances with Kurama, who could only shrug. Kuwabara followed wordlessly behind.

After several more heartbeats, Hiei signaled the group to a stop. "Kuwabara, get that torch of yours up here." Curiosity overriding his usual anger at Hiei's tone, Kuwabara obeyed without comment, brightening his Spirit Sword to its customary intensity. The group spied an unadorned curtain hung across their path from a rod scant inches below the ceiling, a simple affair of rough cotton or muslin weave, deep brown to blend better with the rocks until one was nearly upon it. It cleared the walls and floor by perhaps two to three inches per edge.

"Hn . . . here's how this one works," Hiei began. He pointed to the ceiling. Kurama could just make out a seam in the rock, a section as wide as the corridor and half again as long as the walls were high. "Disturb the curtain in any way and that ceiling section drops, hinged from the end over your head." He pointed at Yusuke. "It cuts off the way back and unloads a mass of marbles all over the floor. The marbles are perfectly smooth and coated with a thin layer of oil. The idea is you lose your footing and fall into the pit on the other side of the curtain. If you do make it across, you'll find more marbles to mess up your footing." Hiei pointed to a seam on the wall to his right. Some six inches off the floor, a two-inch-wide panel extended from behind the curtain about a foot in length. One could easily have overlooked it. "There's one just like this on the other side of the pit. At the same time the ceiling section on our side drops, the wall panel on the other side of the pit opens to cover the floor with another hopper full of marbles. You have to be quick across the pit, too, because you can hardly cross without disturbing the curtain on the other side and having its ceiling panel drop to trap you in here - with another load of marbles."

"And that is the trigger for this hopper to release its cargo as well?" Kurama pointed at the seam on the wall. Hiei nodded.

Kuwabara folded his arms, stumped. "So how d'ya get past this?"

Hiei gave him a nasty grin. "I get past by being fast enough."

"Oh? Well, that's just fine for you, Short-Stuff, but what - ?"

"All right, _children!_" Yusuke planted a hand on Kuwabara's chest to stay him. "I got it. Kuwabara, me an' you'll jump the pit first and catch that other panel before it blocks us in. That way at least one of us is bound to keep our footing long enough to pull it off."

Kurama nodded. "That may work. We must deal with this side first, however. Brace yourselves against the walls. When the panel drops, be sure that your feet are firmly planted. Once all the marbles have been released, we'll clear the floor by sweeping them down the pit."

"Floor's still going to be slick from oil," Hiei reminded him.

"Yes, I am aware of that but there is nothing we can do about it except be mindful of our footing."

They set themselves against the walls, two to a side between the curtain and the near edge of the ceiling panel. "Prepare yourselves," Hiei warned. When all three had met his eye and nodded, he grasped the fabric and pulled, sliding it aside on its rings. Without hesitation, a click was heard and the thick rock slab swung down, several pounds of glass marbles rolling down the newly-formed ramp and scattering across the floor. The group could now see the pit as well. It appeared to be five feet wide, the curtains hanging a foot in from either edge. They kicked the marbles down the pit, then Yusuke met Kuwabara's eye. A smile, a nod, and the two leaped across. Yusuke lost his footing among the marbles from the far hopper, his feet going out from under him entirely, and he grimaced at the pain of falling on the glass orbs. Kuwabara appeared to twist an ankle as he went down on one knee, grunting when his leg landed across several more marbles. Yusuke scrambled instantly to his knees as the ceiling panel descended on them, rewarding both with a face-full of yet more marbles as they successfully caught the edge of the heavy rock slab.

"Ugh!" Yusuke complained. "A guy can lose teeth doing this."

With his concentration broken, Kuwabara's sword had winked out of existence. Kurama peered into the dimness across the pit, his moss once again the only light source. He could see the strain on his friends' faces. "Are you all right?"

Yusuke shook his head. "Gonna hafta jump over with the marbles in the way. We don't dare move. Remember the Gate of Betrayal? Well, this doesn't weight quite _that_ much but you two had better hurry!" Sweat was breaking out on Kuwabara's brow as he nodded in silent agreement.

Hiei leaped, slipping among the marbles. Kurama hesitated. There was very little footing left on that side, what with both humans kneeling just beyond their curtain so that their legs took up much of the floor space. Kurama shook his head. His body was weary from the multiple beatings he had taken but there was nothing for it. He leaped.

He stumbled on the other side, knocking Hiei into Yusuke. Hiei caught himself on Kuwabara's shoulder for balance but then there was no one with a free, useable hand to grab Kurama as the carpet of marbles rolled out from under his feet. Kurama's wounded hand spasmed as he reached out to catch Yusuke's leg. Neither hand could find purchase in the oil as he went over the edge of the pit, plunging his companions into complete darkness with his exit.

8 8 8 8 8

Hiei silently cursed at Kurama's soft gasp of horror. Even _he_ could not move fast enough, wounded and weary as he was, as the other disappeared.

"Dammit, Kurama! _KURAMA!_" Yusuke hollered. The echoes of his cries were the only responses.

"Kurama, no!" Kuwabara gasped in disbelieving horror.

Yusuke turned blindly to where he remembered Hiei standing. "What's down that hole? Where'd he go?"

Hiei had turned and carefully knelt at the edge of the pit, peering down. Only he could see in this pitch blackness. His range was somewhat limited - only a few hundred feet - but it was more than enough. The pit narrowed quickly and elbowed at an angle back and to his left perhaps two dozen feet down. "Kurama!" he called. There was still no response beyond echoes. "Damn it!" he swore to himself through gritted teeth.

"Hiei, talk to me," Yusuke implored. "What's down that pit?"

"What happened to Kurama?" Kuwabara softly asked at the same time.

Hiei shook his head even as he realized that the two humans could not see the gesture. "I've never been down there." He cursed himself silently for not being able to use his left arm, not being able to catch his friend.

"Well, all paths lead to Bokuma, right? No matter which way we go?"

"No, Urameshi! We can't get all split up. What if Bokuma finds Kurama before we do? Kurama can't fight Bokuma alone, not all hurt like he is."

"But, Kuwabara! If Hiei doesn't know the traps and the way down there - "

"Argue all you two want," Hiei snarled. "I'm going after Kurama." He sat down on the edge of the pit.

"Oh, what the hell," Yusuke groaned. "C'mon, Kuwabara." Together, they dropped the stone slab, then Kuwabara joined Hiei at the edge of the pit even as the youkai pushed himself over the lip.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Kurama fell at breakneck speed down the smooth-walled chute, the way twisting and curving like a demented roller-coaster. By the light of his moss, he barely caught glimpses of forks as he went, his weight and speed, the shifts of his balance, determining which passages he took. At length, he shot out the end of the chute, plummeting down several feet into a mass of fluffy, white goo. He just managed to close his eyes and mouth before getting a face-full of the stuff. He curled himself into a protective fetal position as he slid, spinning along the marble-covered floor through what could best be described as whipped cream until he slammed into the opposite wall, flat across his shoulders. He froze for an instant as the agony of the irritated whiplashes flared across his back. He was just glad the impact did not dislocate his shoulder again. Slowly righting himself, he cleared the ground immediately around his legs of the marbles from the trap above, blindly digging through the cream with his toes. With the wall for support, he pushed shakily to his feet, wiping his face clear of goo, then tried to wipe his arm without taking off the moss as well. He willed it to its brightest luminance as he stepped away from the wall.

He stood in a chamber perhaps twenty feet to a side, several chute mouths puncturing three of the walls at various intervals. A wooden ladder climbed the fourth wall, its top end lit by a red-orange glow about a hundred feet up. The slick, airy whipped-cream-like substance filled the floor of the chamber past his knees. It was far warmer in here than Kurama knew caverns this deep should be. _"Some areas are frozen in ice, others heated by a lava flow_._"_ Kurama shuddered with apprehension as Hiei's earlier words came to mind. _But, more importantly, how do I get back to the others?_ he wondered.

Just then, a deep, fluff-muffled cry of surprise was Kurama's only warning before something large slammed into him from the side beneath the cream layer, nearly taking his legs out from under him. He managed to keep his feet despite the marbles only to have something knock the wind out of him from behind with a familiar yelp of "Oh, crap!" He crumpled over the first mass in a tangle of arms and legs when a third, smaller missile landed on him from somewhere above.

Kuwabara was the first to find the surface of the cream layer, lifting his arm with an exasperated cry of "Spirit Sword!" Kurama sat up into sudden light as he brushed cream from his face for the second time. Yusuke and Hiei managed to disentangle themselves from one another a heartbeat later. "Hey, guys," Kuwabara chuckled ruefully. "We found Kurama."

"Yes," Kurama joked, holding up a handful of foam-covered glass orbs, "and look - we haven't lost our marbles."

"That's debatable," Hiei smirked in a rare moment of humor. He stood and offered Yusuke a hand up as they surveyed their new surroundings.

"Sweet place you found, Kurama," Yusuke laughed, licking cream from his arm, "but I hope you don't mind if we don't stay too long."

"Not at all," Kurama rejoined gamely as Kuwabara pulled him to his feet. "I was just considering a change in scenery myself."

Kuwabara snickered. "Hey, Urameshi, Kurama, did you guys ever see that American movie, 'Ghostbusters'? Heh-heh, we look just like the guys did after they blew up the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man!"

Kurama allowed a smile as he attempted to squeeze the goo from his long hair.

"All right!" Yusuke hollered, putting his fists together as though to employ his Spirit Gun as he mimicked a line from the movie. "This chick is _toast!_"

"Man, talk about doggie breath!" Kuwabara laughed.

Pointedly ignoring them, Hiei waded over to the nearest wall, cream clinging to his hips. Kurama watched him explore one of the chutes, then shake his head as he turned back to his companions. "The walls are perfectly smooth and oil-slick from the marbles, not to mention the slippery cream-stuff we're covered in. We won't be climbing back in one of these."

"Well," Yusuke breathed, eyeing the ladder. "You know what they say. 'The only way to go from here is up'."

"That ladder is suspiciously convenient," Hiei scowled.

"What's that glow at the top?" Kuwabara wanted to know.

Kurama exchanged looks with Hiei before responding, "Heat from magma, possibly."

"Huh? W-what did you say?" Kuwabara sputtered incredulously.

Yusuke stared at them, equally aghast. "You mean, we've fallen into a volcano or something?"

"Or something," Kurama nodded. "It is too warm in here to be normal and Hiei did indicate that we may come across lava flows."

Yusuke turned to Hiei and one could almost see his eye twitch. "Heh, I thought you were joking . . . " Hiei did not bother to respond. Yusuke shook his head, puffing out a deep breath of air. "Well, all right, whatever. Hey, even if there is lava up there somewhere, it must be contained, right? Or else it'd be pouring down on our heads - not to mention the fumes. The fumes would get you before the lava ever did, right?" Yusuke turned to Kurama imploringly.

"We are not in any immediate danger," Kurama assured him, "not from magma, at any rate. As you pointed out, fumes would be our first warning. That ladder concerns me far more right now. It would appear to be our only way out but, as Hiei said, it is terribly convenient and this cream we have landed in will make any foot or handhold tenuous at best."

"Climbing's going to be slippery," Hiei translated at Kuwabara's blank look.

"Hey, I heard 'im, Shorty!"

"Hn."

"Hey, will you two quit behaving like a pair of primary school brats?" Yusuke scolded in a huff. "That was my job!"

"He started it," Kuwabara muttered under his breath.

Kurama shook his head, looking to Hiei. "How is your arm?"

"Useless," Hiei groused. He glanced down at the shoulder, wiping away cream with the other hand to see better. "Still in the socket."

"Your condition worries me the most in this situation." He held up a hand before Hiei could protest. "With only one useable arm, it would be all too easy for you to lose your grip or your footing and fall from the ladder. This marshmallow cream is not dense enough to cushion a fall from any height and the climb looks to be at least twenty to twenty-five meters." He paused, taking a breath before making his recommendation. "I suggest that you allow Yusuke or Kuwabara to give you a lift up the ladder."

At that, Hiei did protest, his turn to sputter incredulously. "Have you lost your mind, Kurama? I'd sooner - !"

Kurama cut off both Hiei and a reply from Yusuke, his hard green eyes never leaving his brother's. "Your pride or your freedom, Hiei." His soft tone brooked no argument. "Think about it. You will not reach Bokuma if you are lying at the bottom of a ladder, suffocating to death because you are unconscious under a layer of whipped cream. That is no honorable way to go. You already have a concussion. A fall might well knock you out - and then what? We will be carrying you up anyway."

Hiei glared at him, fuming but silenced by his friend's never-erring logic. Finally, his eyes dropped away from Kurama's. "Damn you, fox," he muttered, relenting unhappily. Kurama hid a small, almost fond grin, knowing that only he could talk Hiei into something so "ridiculous."

"Tell ya what," Yusuke suggested. "I'll take the lead. Kuwabara, you've got Hiei. Kurama, if one of us does fall, you can catch us with your Rose Whip, right?"

The thief allowed a small, wry grin. "I will certainly try."

"Fair enough. Come on, then." Yusuke started to climb the ladder, scraping his palms first on the walls to clear them of as much goo as possible. Kuwabara apparently decided that the light from above was enough for him to release his Spirit Sword. He turned and knelt and Hiei threw his arm over Kuwabara's shoulder, burying his fist in the big man's t-shirt and wrapping his legs around his waist as he stood. Neither spoke. Kurama sighed as he followed them up the ladder.

Except for the rapidly rising temperature, the climb was uneventful until Yusuke was within ten feet of the top. Suddenly, the top twenty feet of ladder fell away from the wall, toppling over to lie horizontally against the opposite stretch of rock. The rung upon which he had a firm grip held but the one for which he had been reaching when the ladder began to move came free in his hand, leaving him to dangle one-handed over the floor way too far below. At the same time, Kurama heard Kuwabara bellow as he watched both of his friend's rungs pull out of the ladder's sidebars.

"KUWABARA!" Yusuke screamed as both Kuwabara and Hiei fell, Kuwabara flapping his arms helplessly as each hand still gripped a ladder rung.

"Rose Whip!" Kurama, just below the hinged point, still clung to a vertical ladder. Not trusting his wounded hand, he wrapped his right arm over a rung for stability and cracked his whip left-handed, wrapping the lash around the trunks of both his friends, securing them to one another. He gasped as their weight wrenched his shoulders but gritted his teeth against the pain, refusing to let go.

Kuwabara swung and faceplanted into the ladder about a dozen feet below Kurama, hitting with a painful _crack_! He caught the rungs, assuring himself of his footing before unwrapping the whip from around himself and Hiei. "All right," he panted. "It's official. I _really_ don't like this place!" He ignored Hiei's muttered comment of "Idiot."

Yusuke was now facing his companions, hanging from the ladder nearly eye-level with Kurama and ten feet from any wall. "All right, what the hell just happened?" he demanded, throwing down the freed rung. "Why did this stupid ladder just turn into a freakin' set of monkey bars?"

Kurama did not answer right away. Tucking away the rose, he climbed the last few rungs to the hinge joints in the sidebars of the ladder. He studied the rungs between himself and Yusuke, noting that they were set into the wood of the side bars so as to pull free when any weight was put upon them from any angle but what was normal to climb them vertically. "No, Yusuke! Stop!" he gasped as Yusuke began to reach for the next rung back to climb to him. "Any rung but the one you're holding now, I suspect, is rigged to release if clung to from this angle."

"Huh?" Yusuke frowned even as he obeyed.

Kuwabara climbed up to just a little under Kurama. "What's going on?"

Ignoring him for the moment, Kurama let his eyes wander back up the wall to the ledge above. It was then that he noticed the cables angling down from the points on the wall, where the top of the ladder had been attached, across and down to the other ends of the ladder.

Yusuke spotted them as well. "What the hell? What is this, a European drawbridge?"

"You may be on to something," Kurama conceded. "Come on back but use only the side bars. Ignore the rungs."

"Yeah, whatever."

8 8 8 8 8

To Yusuke's surprise, the ladder began to rise back up as the balance of weight shifted. Finally, the cables returned the top of the ladder back to its original position as Yusuke joined Kurama at the hinge point, standing on the same rung, one clinging to each side bar. "OK, now what?"

Kurama was still staring up the ladder. "This top portion must be attached to some kind of weight-and-pulley system inside the wall."

"Well, don't sound _too_ impressed there, genius," Yusuke growled. "That still doesn't tell us how we're gonna get out of here."

Kurama shifted his attention from the ledge to the rocks directly across from them. "There must be something . . . " he murmured to himself, then met Yusuke's eye. "Did you happen to notice anything over there, some sort of mechanism for controlling the ladder?"

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Not that I was looking. I don't exactly enjoy hangin' around with the poor departed remains of Mr. Stay-Puft twenty meters below my dangling toes."

Kurama nodded. "Fair enough. I will go take a look - "

"Oh, no, you don't, fox-boy!" Yusuke caught Kurama's arm as he started to pull himself up the sidebars of the ladder. "Not with that weakened shoulder of yours. I'll go." Kurama relented and Yusuke took his place, mindful to keep his hands on the sidebars in preparation of the balance shift. Sure enough, as he reached the point he had before, the ladder tilted out and down, the top end once again meeting the opposite wall. He turned himself around and began inching his way across. Reaching the opposing face of rock, he gave a triumphant hoot. "Hey, Kurama, you were right. There's a lever back behind this rock." He pulled down on it, locking it into position. Immediately, the ladder retracted, lifting Yusuke to the ledge above. "Score one for the good guys!" he crowed as he climbed over the edge. "Come on up!"

"Just in case, keep a hand on the top ends of the sidebars," Kurama called back. He looked down the ladder at Kuwabara and Hiei. "Stay below the hinge joints until I get to the top. Then, I will help Yusuke hold the ladder while you climb, just in case." Kuwabara nodded.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	19. Chapter 19 Dungeon Run

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 19 – Dungeon Run

At last, all four had successfully gained the ledge into what appeared to be an old lava tube, with active magma still burning somewhere beyond. The glow came from the ceiling of the new tunnel in which the foursome found themselves. The rock was igneous in nature, black and more porous than sea sponge, which did not bode them any better. The air was unbearably hot and stuffy, so that breathing was difficult. The only redeeming quality was that the intense heat started to melt the goo from their clothes. Yusuke glanced over his friends and shook his head. They would look almost comical if he weren't feeling so sick all of a sudden from the overwhelming heat. "Come on, guys," he muttered, the intolerable temperature sapping his strength. "The sooner we get moving, the sooner we get out of this oven - I hope." The others nodded wearily.

The trek might have been only forty or fifty yards, the glow slowly fading from the ceiling as they went, but it felt like hundreds as the small group trudged along as fast as they could bring themselves to do. At length, a side tunnel yawned open and the group gladly took it. They followed it for another hundred yards or more, the heat dying quickly to return to the chill of the deep underground.

Yusuke paused to squeegee white slime from his arms as he allowed the group to take a break. He growled silently at the chief admin, wondering for the millionth time how the bastard expected Kurama and Hiei to survive a fight with this Bokuma guy. Hiei leaned against the porous wall, eyes closed, a pinched expression on his face. Kurama stood rubbing his shoulder, absently working his injured hand.

Kurama's eyes raised to meet Yusuke's and he managed a small grin, reading his friend's worried brown eyes. "We will be fine. Fortune has been with us so far."

Yusuke scowled deeply, not wanting to think what would happen if Fortune decided to change her fickle mind on them. With a deep sigh, he leaned back on the igneous wall.

_Click_.

8 8 8 8 8

The sound was so soft, Kurama almost missed it, though Hiei's sharp hearing caught it. "Down!" Hiei barked, shoving Kuwabara to the porous ground. Yusuke and Kurama obeyed instantly, ducking just in time not to lose their sight to the tiny darts that suddenly filled the air.

Kurama dared not raise his face to see how the others fared. They were being pounded from all sides, it seemed. _No, not all sides_, Kurama corrected, _just the ceiling and two walls. This entire stretch of corridor is filled with convenient holes for missiles. I just hope the floor - !_ He jumped as a barrage of thorns pelted him in the belly and other tender regions. A shriek of "What the hell - !" from Yusuke confirmed that the others were suffering the same - and the attack was not letting up. "Damn! Everyone, move!" Kurama ordered. Throwing one arm over his face, he reached out for his nearest companion. Hiei hissed in pain as Kurama jerked on his unstable arm but the thief decided he could apologize later. Slowly he crawled, dragging Hiei, to a bend in the corridor several yards further along the tunnel. Rounding the corner, he escaped the punishing assault. He dropped Hiei and turned to catch Yusuke as he stumbled past. Kuwabara joined them a second later, growling as he pulled inch-long needles from his arms and face.

"Great," Yusuke grumbled as he, too, turned to the task of clearing the darts from his flesh, "now Bokuma wants to turn us into a bunch of freakin' pincushions! Ouch!"

"Thankfully, they are not poisoned . . . nor are they designed to penetrate too deeply," Kurama observed, plucking one from the back of his neck and studying it. "It would seem that they are meant to be an irritant more than anything."

"Well, kudos for him! I'm successfully irritated!" Yusuke snapped. "Can you quit admiring Bokuma's handiwork long enough to help me dig it out of my damned shoulder blades? They hurt like hell!"

Kuwabara summoned his Spirit Sword for better light and the foursome spent the next several minutes cleaning themselves and each other of the barbed darts, Kurama pocketing a handful. "They may yet prove to be of use" was his only explanation. No one bothered to disagree.

Kuwabara was the first to notice the faint light tinting the wall opposite another bend in the tunnel beyond their resting point. They approached cautiously, rounding the corner to yet another chasm splitting an enormous cavern. This one was about as wide as the first where the stone bridge had given way from under Hiei and Kurama. Torches burned atop low poles at either end of a wooden bridge spanning the chasm. Rather than having a frame to anchor it to the rock ledges, the bridge seemed to be suspended from thick cables attached to the ends of the handrails, the top ends of the cables disappearing into the shadows among the stalactites. The bottom of the chasm was farther than even Hiei's darkvision could see. The rock here was still the same rough, porous igneous as the tunnel behind them. There were no other ways off this small shelf of rock upon which they stood, except to climb down the rock face an uncertain distance, slicing their hands open on the unforgiving stone. Kurama was the first to approach and inspect the bridge.

"Trap," Hiei muttered sardonically.

"Hey, if that ladder fell over back there," Kuwabara reasoned, "a bridge isn't gonna go up on its end and dump us down that hole or anything, is it?"

Kurama shook his head. "I would be willing to bet that it is not rigged quite that way. The bridge almost seems to hang from these cables at either end. There is no center fulcrum that I can tell. Even if all the cables snapped, there is enough of each end of the bridge resting across the lip of the rock . . ." His voice died out as he continued to consider alternatives.

"Only one way to find out," Yusuke growled, "unless anyone's up for going back through that friggin' dart tunnel to find another way out of the lava tube." When no one commented, he deliberately stepped onto the bridge and strode out, his gait and posture seeming to dare the bridge to spring some foul trick on him. It obliged.

He did not make it halfway across, the others close on his heels, when something snapped under his foot. What happened next was almost too fast for anyone's mind to register. The bridge folded up around them, hinged in five sections. The center stretch, upon which most of them stood, stayed level beneath them but the sections just fore and aft folded upright, pitching Kurama - who had been playing rearguard - off his feet into Kuwabara and Hiei. The ends of the bridge met smoothly over the group's heads. The bridge's handrails had also broken into sections, overlapping into a lattice-work configuration to make the last two walls of the newly-formed hanging cage.

Stunned silence dominated the cage for just an instant before Yusuke bellowed in sudden, ranting frustration. "AARRRGGGHHHH! _Stupid_ bridge! _Stupid traps!_ _STUPID MAZE!_"

"Uh, Urameshi - ?"

"No, Yusuke, don't - !"

"_SPIRIT GUN!_"

The foursome grabbed at the walls and each other as the blast sent the cage spinning in a crazy, mid-air dance. In spite of going almost green with the nausea from his concussion, Hiei managed to spit out, "Nice work, detective. Feel any better?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do, Hiei."

"I'm . . . gonna be . . . sick . . . " Kuwabara warned them.

"Please," Kurama implored, turning a slight shade of green himself, "do it out the window Yusuke just provided us!" He had yet to pick himself up off the floor of the cage.

The bridge-cage had no sooner begun to slow its sickening caper when it dropped without warning. The four yelped in unison as their pen descended in a freefall for at least a dozen yards before bouncing to a halt at the end of the cables once again. However, it continued to drop, the rock faces zipping upward past them at an alarming rate.

"N-now what?" Yusuke stammered, his heart in his throat.

"I dunno," Kuwabara responded, equally shaken. "Maybe you pissed somethin' off with yer Spirit Gun!"

Kurama had managed to struggle to his feet. "We need to stop our fall somehow!" He was forced to yell to be heard over the wind rushing past their ears.

"Sorry, buddy!" Yusuke hollered back. "This model of elevator didn't come with an emergency brake - !"

The cage came to a violent halt. All four were thrown off their feet to the wooden floor only to smash right through. They dropped a short distance into water below and came up gasping and hissing in pain. Kurama's first impression was that they had fallen into acid but he quickly recognized the thick reek of brine in his nose. The burning sensation came from salt water irritating the multitude of dart wounds that covered him. He followed his companions as Kuwabara once again lit his Spirit Sword and they splashed their way noisily to the shore of the small lake, muttering curses under their breaths.

Yusuke staggered up the rocks, panting from exertion. "Is everyone all right?"

"Depends on your definition," Hiei growled through clenched teeth. Kurama reset his shoulder again.

"As long as we are still in one piece so far - " Kurama felt Hiei tense suddenly under his hands, as though remembering something. "What is it?"

Hiei did not answer right away, listening intently. "I find," he commented slowly, "that after a trap that draws blood, Bokuma likes to follow up with blood beetles."

Kurama stiffened. "That would not be good."

"Eww," Kuwabara uttered in disgust. "I don't think I like the sound of that."

"Me, neither," Yusuke agreed, watching the thief and assassin closely. "Kurama, you've heard of these things?"

Kurama nodded, lips tight in a frown. "A blood beetle is an animal of the Demon Realm. They are the size of small housecats and can be found in large numbers in dark, dank places - "

"Like a cave," Yusuke growled. "Perfect."

"Such as caves, yes. They feed on . . . well, I know that they feed on Yoki. They may or may not be drawn to Reiki as well. I have never known a human to come across a blood beetle. They are blind but they are drawn by sound . . . and by blood. It is through blood that they feed on one's energies. Another thing - their bite causes pain and swelling - and paralysis of the affected limb. It is only temporary . . . but lasts long enough."

"Dammit!" Yusuke swore. "This place just doesn't let up, does it?"

"You were expecting anything less?" Hiei queried caustically. "I tried to warn you. You're the one who insisted on coming along anyway."

"Yeah, yeah - whatever," Yusuke huffed unhappily, waving him off. "So, how long does it take for these things to show up?"

The foursome surveyed their surroundings. They stood at the edge of a large subterranean lake, the other side far beyond reach of the light from Kuwabara's sword. The shore was a few dozen yards to the rock face, ground and wall both filled with crags and broken hidey-holes among the rocks. Four doorways pierced the long rock face.

"Bets on which one leads outta here?" Yusuke muttered sarcastically.

"Prepare yourselves," Hiei warned tightly, his sharp ears finally catching the sounds for which he had been listening. His sword was already drawn.

A skittering sound filled their ears as numerous black shapes flowed from the crags in the rocks, quickly filling the space between them and the doorways. The creatures were a nightmarish cross between rats and insects, with long jumping legs ending in clawed feet, ears like antennae, and wicked, spider-like fangs under a fur-coated carapace. A long, whippy tail dragged along behind them, lashing back and forth in anticipation.

"Hey, quick!" Kuwabara gasped. "They're blockin' the way to those doors!"

The blood beetles made the first move, swarming at the four. Yusuke concentrated Reiki into his fists and punched at those that leaped for him, the closest victim. He grimaced as their armored bodies burst open and their ichor washed over him. "Oh, the hell with that! _Shotgun_!" Kuwabara and Hiei slashed through the creatures, swords carving a ready path to the nearest doorway. Kurama barely got his rose in hand and transformed before the quickest beasts were upon him. The Rose Whip cut through them easily enough, clearing those immediately around him, but there were many and he was tiring. He could think of only one option. As the others pressed forward, he retreated, hissing as his foot went back into the stinging water.

Hiei turned to locate his friend, surprised at the distance Kurama had allowed to come between himself and the others. "Kurama - !"

"No!" Kurama insisted as Hiei started to cross back to him. He turned his whip to swing over his head. "Stay where you are!" Hiei and Kuwabara were out of range. He could only hope Yusuke would make the last few feet in a moment. He hesitated as long as he dared as more creatures closed in around him, allowing Yusuke to escape his area of effect. "_Rose_ _Whip_ _Thorn_ _Wheel!_" he called.

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke dove forward with a cry as the edge of a deadly energy barrage washed past him. A shockwave of rose petals erupted from the whip, destroying most of the remaining blood beetles in the wide radius around Kurama. One snuck in under Kurama's defenses, leaping at him from behind in the water. Kurama was forced to ignore it for the moment as it latched on, not daring to end his technique until it had finished all of the monsters within its attack range.

"Kurama!" Yusuke hollered.

"Urameshi, look out!"

Yusuke turned just as several new beetles pulled themselves up over the rocks in front of him. He kicked away the first but another leaped onto his arm. Yusuke cried out as long fangs pierced his elbow. _No! Dammit! My Spirit Gun - !_ The creature did not seem able to feed on his Reiki and dropped off but not before a numbing pain shot up and down his arm from the bite wound. Kuwabara was at his side in an instant, skewering the offending creature. Yusuke gasped. "Kuwabara, behind you!" He leaped to his feet as a creature latched onto the back of Kuwabara's shoulder, punching it away with a Reiki-enhanced fist. "Did it get you?" he asked worriedly.

Kuwabara was grimacing in pain. "Yeah, it did. Hey, where are Hiei and Kurama?"

8 8 8 8 8

Kurama had pulled his damaged rose, forming a rosewood dagger to cut the blood beetle from his hip. He looked up as Hiei approached. Hiei was frowning but whatever he might have been about to say in scolding was cut off. Two beetles leaped at him from a crevice at his feet. He stumbled in his dodge and Kurama frowned as he closed to assist. _His reaction time is shot. Must be from the concussion and other complications. This does not bode us well!_

Hiei ran the first through but would not be able to bring his sword to bear in time for the second. He twisted his shoulders hard, throwing out his already-paralyzed left arm in sacrifice. The creature latched on, sucking hungrily on his Yoki, before Kurama cracked the Rose Whip on it. Hiei spat as the monster's ichor sprayed him.

"That's a pretty impressive attack ya got there, Kurama," Yusuke commented as he and Kuwabara approached. "I think we finished off what you missed so coast is clear."

Kurama frowned in concern at Kuwabara who was rubbing the back of his left shoulder. Kuwabara waved him off. "Naw, don't worry about me. I can still use my hand. See?" He opened and closed his fist but Kurama could read the pain in his eyes.

Kurama also noted the fresh blood running down Yusuke's hand from a bite wound to his arm. He knew that the pain in his side and shooting down his leg from his own injury would be yet another hindrance. He shook his head. "We must find Bokuma soon. His traps are picking us apart, I'm afraid."

"They're meant to," Hiei muttered sourly.

"Dunno about the other doorways but that one's got an empty room with some more doors in it," Kuwabara suggested, pointing at the second from the right, the one he and Hiei had originally reached.

Yusuke shrugged with a sigh. "One's as good as any others, I guess. Come on, gang."

Before following, Kurama picked up one of the more intact beetle carcasses and cut into the throat, carefully removing the venom sac. Kuwabara looked on in revulsion but Hiei nodded his approval.

The space behind the doorway was indeed a manmade room rather than a natural cave, with worked walls and a flagstone floor. Two doorways opened on the far wall, one on the left-hand wall near the opposite corner, a forth on the center of the right-hand wall. "One of those's gotta lead back up to the upper levels," Yusuke reasoned.

The group spread out to check out the doors but was barely a quarter of the way across when a sound stopped them in their tracks.

_Crack - splort!_

"W-what the - !" Kuwabara sputtered in exasperation.

Kurama turned to see that Kuwabara's foot had broken through one of the flagstones. He pulled it back up to floor level and the group saw that it was stuck in what looked like a plant pot, bronze and perfectly round-bottomed. It was filled to the rim with a deep brown goo of some kind. Kurama caught a whiff that seemed like a cross between honey and glue. He could feel the faint traces of magic emanating it.

"Ya know," Yusuke laughed, "I've seen you stick your foot in your mouth enough times but this takes the cake!"

"Aw, shut up, Urameshi, an' help me get this stupid thing off." Kuwabara had already tried to pull his foot free, hopping around as he tried to maintain his balance. Kurama grabbed him for support, afraid he would put his other foot through another false flagstone with all his hopping. "Thanks, Kurama." Kuwabara leaned back into the thief as Yusuke tried to pull the pot from his foot.

Kurama had once watched an old American western movie with his to-be stepbrother and now he chuckled inwardly as he was reminded of a scene where two cowboys were trying to help a third get his big boots off. He shook his head, thinking how ridiculous they must look at that moment.

From his expression, Hiei knew exactly how ridiculous they looked. One could almost see a sweatdrop run down the side of his face as he watched them. No matter how hard Yusuke pulled, the goo-filled pot showed no sign of releasing its captive.

"Woah, woah, ow, hey, _stop_!" Kuwabara cried. "You're gonna rip my foot off or somethin'!"

"Not likely," Kurama assured him, "but he may dislocate your ankle or your knee. Yusuke - " He shook his head, signaling that he did not believe attempting any further would be of use. With a huff, Yusuke dropped Kuwabara's foot. It hit the floor with a resounding, metallic _clang!_

Had he been able to, Kurama did not doubt that Hiei would have folded his arms at what he considered to be the human's "unending incompetence." "Human or youkai, you are the only idiot I know who could manage to find such a frivolous and inane trap."

"Well, that's a roundabout way to give a compliment," Kuwabara griped. He leaned down over to Kurama and whispered, "Uh, what's 'inane' mean?"

Kurama had knelt to inspect the broken flagstone, finding it to be a false replica of thin plaster. He shook his head at Kuwabara with a bemused grin, feeling it best not to respond this time.

Hiei growled impatiently, "If you're finished wasting my time, I'd like to get moving again." He turned to continue across the room.

_Crack - splort!_

Hiei froze, then turned stiffly to his companions. "Not . . . a . . . word!" he snarled, his voice low with repressed fury.

Kurama elbowed Kuwabara before he could make a reply, though he himself was finding it difficult to keep a straight face as he watched Hiei pull his leg out of a calf-deep hole, a matching pot attached firmly to his boot. Like Kuwabara, the pot raised the bottom of his foot a few inches off the ground, unbalancing him.

Kurama pulled his damaged rose, forming a rosewood cane, and moved to take the lead. "Apparently, this room is trapped with plaster facades over a number of these pots. Step only where I indicate." With that, he began a slow path across the room, tapping each flagstone first to listen for solidity. He suppressed another grin of amusement as he listened to the _clunk_-step, _clunk_-step sounds behind him as Kuwabara and Hiei limped along. Hiei was irritated enough that he was not even trying to be quiet.

Nearly every other stone, it seemed, covered a pot-trap and their path led them to only one door with any safety. The door on the left-hand wall had a staircase leading steeply upward. A rushing sound could be heard from an indiscernible source somewhere above.

Yusuke nodded. "Like I said, one's gotta lead back up."

The long flight of stairs led to a room similar to the one below. The mysterious rushing noise was now almost deafening. There were no other doors but a small alcove interrupted the far wall. A statue filled the space, tiny writing visible on its squat pedestal.

Yusuke was the first to step into the room, crossing cautiously to the alcove. "Hey, isn't that your Bokuma guy?"

_Clunk_-step, _clunk_-step - the rest followed him into the room. They were less than halfway across when a heavy stone slab dropped into place with a loud _BOOM!_, sealing off the only door. The group jumped at the sound, startled, but no one was overly surprised.

Kurama studied the statue, frowning in disgust. It was indeed a figure of Bokuma. Kurama was all too familiar with the confident smirk on the statue's face as it leered at them with its arms crossed. The words on the base read, "The only way out is through me."

"Hn, figures," Hiei groaned.

"Well, what's that supposed to mean?" Kuwabara wondered.

"Simple," Yusuke commented. "Must be a hole under the statue or something."

"Yusuke, that might not be wise - " Kurama tried to warn but it was too late. Yusuke had grabbed the statue, trying to lift it. A high-pitched cackling laugh - Kurama was reminded of Dog - filled the room as the statue swiveled in Yusuke's hands, showing the back of the figure. Dog stood grinning and waving at them, the words on the base reading, "Hope you can swim, little fishies!"

"The floor - !" Hiei warned. A seam broke apart from the door to the alcove and the floor pieces slid rapidly away from one another, disappearing into the walls. They realized the source of the rushing sound a split-second before falling into it - the wild rapids of a swift underground river raged below their feet. They plunged into the violent water and were swept away before they could catch their breaths.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	20. Chapter 20 Conviction

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 20 - Conviction

"Bokuma _must_ be taken alive. Death would be far too easy an escape. He must be made to answer for his crimes, against those humans . . . and against _us_."

8 8 8

"The game was simple . . . There's a monster down there which will find you and bring you back here."  
"And according to the warden, that monster is actually Bokuma."

8 8 8

"Kuwabara, Yusuke, forgive me but I'm afraid that Hiei is right. Please, try to understand - what lies beyond is dangerous in ways neither of you have ever experienced . . . and I would prefer that you never do."  
"We're a team and teams stick together."  
"If you guys are in trouble, you're not gonna face it alone. Heh, we won't _let_ ya! Deal?"  
"Yes, deal. Thank you - both of you."

8 8 8

"I take it you've done this kinda thing before, haven't you?"  
"I have done many things in my time. Come, let us continue on."  
_Hn. Yes, you have. And yet, you sound almost . . . remorseful . . ._

8 8 8

"I'm fine . . . We're here for Bokuma. _That_ is the only thing that matters right now."  
"Trial by combat . . . He must fight just as I must."  
"Well, of all the stupid . . . Not alone, you're not!"

8 8 8

"As Hiei explained, Bokuma enjoys toying with his prey before returning them to the Pit. This whole cave system is nothing but a playground for him. He thinks nothing of injuring or ensnaring his toys along the way."  
_Odd that I was never made aware of this . . . playground of yours, Bokuma._

8 8 8

"We must all be more cautious of anything we encounter down here. Absolutely nothing is to be trusted."  
_Interesting. He did not turn on the human for his thoughtless incompetence that nearly killed him. There was a time the fox would have eviscerated the buffoon himself. Surprising that the assassin does not do so for him._

8 8 8

"Dammit, Kurama! _KURAMA!_"  
"Kurama! . . . Damn it!"  
"Hiei, talk to me.""No, Urameshi! We can't get all split up. What if Bokuma finds Kurama before we do?"  
"Argue all you two want. I'm going after Kurama."  
_Even more interesting. Rather than stay to the path he knows, the assassin will risk himself so for the thief? I would not have expected that._

8 8 8

"Your pride or your freedom, Hiei."  
"Damn you, fox."  
_Ah - so even you will listen to him, will you? He is probably the sole person you _will_ heed. The fox can be quite persuasive._

8 8 8

"Fair enough. I will go take a look - "  
"Oh, no, you don't, fox-boy! Not with that weakened shoulder of yours. I'll go."

8 8 8

"AARRRGGGHHHH! _Stupid_ bridge! _Stupid traps!_ _STUPID MAZE!_"  
_Heh . . . Our vaulted Spirit Detective - still a human child prone to fits of tantrum. Poor thing._

8 8 8

"Is everyone all right?"  
"Depends on your definition . . . Prepare yourselves."

8 8 8

"Kurama - !"  
"No! Stay where you are!"  
_Foolish thief! What are you doing?_  
"Rose Whip Thorn Wheel!"  
_Hm, a great expenditure of Yoki, that. What will you do when you must face Bokuma?_

8 8 8

"Kurama!"  
"Urameshi, look out!"  
"Did it get you?"  
"Yeah, it did. Hey, where are Hiei and Kurama?"  
_They worry more for each other than themselves. I can understand the humans looking out for each other . . . but for the youkai as well? And even the assassin has shown signs of concern for his human companions._

8 8 8

"We must find Bokuma soon. His traps are picking us apart, I'm afraid."  
"They're meant to."  
_They are something I had not counted on. Perhaps . . . _

8 8 8

Batsukuno sat back in his plush chair, digging the heels of his hands into his tired eyes to clear them. The image on the surface of his polished desk wavered along with his concentration. He had been maintaining the scrying screen for over three hours and the strain was beginning to catch up with him, even as powerful as he was. He smirked at himself. _I do not lack for Yoki but perhaps I have allowed myself to . . . fall out of shape somewhat._

A knock at the door brought the chief admin's attention back to the present. "Who is it?"

An oni attendant respectfully pushed the door partway open and bowed. "Forgive the intrusion, sire, but Lord Koenma wishes to see you."

Batsukuno sighed and gestured for the little ruler to be allowed in. He considered canceling the screen, then thought better of it. No doubt Lord Koenma was concerned about his pets and would want to know how they were faring.

As predicted, Koenma dove straight to the point. "Any news on Kurama or Hiei?" he queried anxiously as he toddled into the room, followed by Jorju.

"Your humans caught up to them shortly after they left. The four of them are still trying to find my warden. It's quite a game he has been playing with them thus far."

"How do you - ?" Koenma began but a familiar voice cut him off.

_"Ya know, I've seen you stick your foot in your mouth enough times but this takes the cake!"_

"Huh? Y-yusuke!" Koenma looked around as though expecting his bad-mouthing Spirit Detective to jump out of a cabinet.

_"Aw, shut up, Urameshi, an' help me get this stupid thing off."_

Batsukuno chuckled at Koenma's dumbfounded expression and pointed at the top of his desk. Koenma leaped up to the desk's surface, startled to see his Spirit Detectives - and the terrible shape they were in. Hiei's left hand was in his pocket, the shoulder lower than was normal. Kurama favored a leg as he supported Kuwabara, who was grunting while Yusuke tried unsuccessfully to pull a bronze pot from his foot with only one hand, the other arm - his Spirit Gun arm - limp and swollen, blood trickling from a bite wound just above the elbow. They were all soaking wet and covered in greenish-black gore, their clothes - what was left - sporting numerous tears and punctures. "At the rate they are going," Batsukuno mused, "they will be lucky to find Bokuma at all before falling more permanently to one of his amusements."

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Koenma started to retort but stopped at the look in Batsukuno's eye. The youkai watched the group on his screen with a hint of a frown. From him, that was enough for Koenma. The little ruler was well familiar with Batsukuno's mind games, meaning one thing and acting another. For once, Koenma felt he was seeing a real expression from the cunning chief administrator. He decided to keep his peace for a moment, to see if Batsukuno would grace him with his thoughts.

His patience was rewarded. Batsukuno watched a moment longer - _"Woah, woah, ow, hey, __**stop!**__"_ - then turned to his guest. "Your humans are quite remarkable, really - their immaturity notwithstanding. They have chosen to stand by the sides of their youkai companions regardless of the consequences. You know that they do themselves no good to involve themselves in this. Bokuma may . . . harm them deeply."

He understood too well what he meant. Bokuma may kill the humans - but that could never be proven. The word of two convicted youkai would not hold and this type of scrying screen was not considered proper evidence, even though witnessed by the Chief Administrator of Justice and the Prince of Spirit Realm themselves. If Bokuma won the combat, the humans' deaths would be on the already-convicted youkais' heads for certain.

"Yusuke and Kuwabara can hold their own," Koenma returned quietly, watching the chief admin out of the corner of his eye, "and they know, as I do, that Kurama and Hiei are worth it."

Batsukuno shot a look at Koenma but did not respond right away. Returning his attention to the screen, he sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers together over his chest, his tone slightly incredulous. "Yes, that does seem to be their opinion."

"You think they are wrong?"

"I think they may be misguided."

"No, you don't."

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At that, Batsukuno did begin a back answer but found, to his surprise, that Koenma was right. He had been watching for over three hours, waiting for one or the other of the youkai to show his true merit, his dark side, listening for the words that would damn him for certain. Instead, the chief admin had been audience to a small group of companions who genuinely cared and looked out for one another. He had tested the assassin's loyalty once and had been surprised. The thief had trusted him and that trust had turned out to hold true not only for the thief but the two humans as well, assassin's behavior towards them baffling the chief admin. The thief, too, had proven on several occasions his trust and alliance with his human companions. Batsukuno wondered if he should not have been so surprised when Kurama defied him to try to warn off the humans, knowing that he would be punished. The chief admin had never had to employ his agony attack more than once even on a youkai opponent, yet the bigger brute of a human somehow found it in himself to rise and at least attempt to continue fighting for the youkais' sakes. That kind of strength only stemmed from the deepest of conviction but what, Batsukuno asked himself, had the two felon youkai done to elicit such a response - and from a human, no less? Whatever it was, that conviction had driven both humans to follow their youkai companions into unknown peril without hesitation and, at every corner since then, with every hardship that should have driven the little fellowship apart, if anything the four were more unified. Not one of them, youkai or human, had turned on the others. It did not even seem to cross their minds. Human and youkai - there was no rift, no difference, only a powerful solidarity among four companions facing a common enemy.

Koenma's soft words broke into the chief admin's thoughts. "It _is_ possible for youkai and humans to operate as one, Batsukuno. There is not always the segregation and racism you believe."

Batsukuno resisted the reflex to shake his head. Such had never been _his_ experience. "Perhaps - but how will they react when they face Bokuma? . . . _If_ they can reach him." Leaning forward, he brought the screen back into sharp focus just as the floor of the small chamber slid out from under the little group, plunging the four into a swift current. "We shall see what we shall see, Lord Koenma."

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Koenma turned back to the screen as well, crossing his fingers behind his back, a frown of deep concern for his detectives creasing his brow.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	21. Chapter 21 Teamwork

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 21 - Teamwork

_Gods but this water is fast!_ Hiei supported his left arm under his right across his chest, knees pulled in tight with his free foot braced on the rim of the pot trapping his other, as he was swept along a tight underground waterway, just barely able to keep his nose and mouth free of fluid enough not to drown. The stone walling this close tunnel was surprisingly rough, painfully scraping the moss clean from his back and aggravating the unhealed whiplashes. Between the nausea from the concussion and the flaring agony of his other wounds, he fought to stay conscious long enough to see himself out of this present predicament. There had to be an outlet somewhere or the current would not be flowing so swiftly. He could only pray they reached that outlet soon.

He had not long to worry as he heard Kuwabara's violent shriek before the tunnel ended abruptly and he was flung out far over a lake dozens of feet below him. He managed to pull a deep breath before plunging under the scum-skinned surface after Kurama and Kuwabara, hearing and feeling the splash just inches from him as Yusuke followed. Forcing his eyes open in the murky water, he tried to follow his companions back to the surface but the pot was heavy and he had been reduced to two useful limbs - opposing limbs at that. He discovered that he was surprisingly fatigued as well and, for every inch he tried to swim up, he felt himself sink two more.

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_Gods but this water is cold!_ Kurama was the first to break the slimy surface, turning immediately to locate his friends. Yusuke and Kuwabara came up coughing and sputtering - Kuwabara reactivating his sword - but after several heartbeats Hiei still had not surfaced. No words were spoken as the two humans realized it as well and all three dove back down. Normally, Kurama was a strong swimmer but the exhaustion was taking an ever steeper toll on his beaten body and the water was severely cold. He feared the effects of hypothermia might be setting in on top of his other problems as violent shivering further hampered him. He was forced to surface for air before he could locate his partner, shuddering with chill. Opening his mental senses, he reached out to locate the energy signatures of his friends. _Too long,_ he worried. _They're taking too long. -Hiei!-_ he called.

The response was slow but it was there. _-I'm . . . fine . . . fox . . . -_

Kurama frowned. He knew that Hiei was immune to the cold but perhaps his injuries were catching up with him, too. He had sustained a head wound, after all.

Yusuke and Kuwabara soon resurfaced with Hiei between them. From his movements, Kurama could see that Kuwabara was only kicking with one leg, the other too weighted down by the pot. Both humans were also shivering. Hiei was still conscious but not by much, it seemed. _-Hiei, stay with us!-_

_-Stupid fox,-_ Hiei murmured back, his thoughts slurred. _-Not going . . . anywhere . . . -_

Yusuke pulled the small youkai from Kuwabara. "Go on, K-kuwabara. I'll get Hiei t-to shore," Yusuke managed to comment through chattering teeth. Kuwabara nodded, his lips turning blue, and started swimming awkwardly, hampered by the pot and the blood beetle wound in his shoulder while also maintaining his Spirit Sword so that they could all see. Yusuke shook Hiei enough to get him to respond, to grip the back of his shirt as he kicked and pulled one-armed. "Ugh. W-we're all g-gonna be a b-bunch of one-armed-bandit p-popsicles before this is o-over."

Kurama turned to pace the two humans as they headed for the lake's edge, trying unsuccessfully to block the deep whipfire burning across his back and shoulders with every movement, the muscle tension and shivering intensifying, but paused as he felt something brush his leg. Suddenly, Kuwabara gasped. "AH! Urame - !" He disappeared below the surface, the light of his sword sinking at an alarming rate.

"Dammit!" Yusuke shoved Hiei into Kurama's arms, then dove after Kuwabara. The jolt helped to revive the smaller youkai as he realized that there was danger.

"Hiei, c-can you make it to sh-shore?" Kurama asked through clenched teeth, trying to keep from stuttering.

They were within a few dozen feet, close enough that even Kurama could see it in the pitch blackness. Hiei nodded carefully, then asked, "What's . . . going on?"

"Something's g-grabbed Kuwa-b-bara."

"Bokuma?" An apparent rush of adrenalin at the thought helped to further revitalize Hiei.

Frowning at his own inarticulation, Kurama switched to telepathy. -_I do not sense him but we both know that he can mask himself_.- He felt as well as saw and heard as, with a growl, Hiei shook off the numbing sleepiness that clouded his pounding head to dive after Kurama.

Sensing more than seeing their way, they soon caught sight of a flickering light source in the murky depths - Kuwabara's Spirit Sword. It illuminated a leviathan straight out of sailors' nightmares - huge luminous eyes set into a bulbous, scale-armored head and a multitude of long, thick, armored tentacles surrounding a maw of countless, spear-length teeth. One of the tentacles was wrapped around Kuwabara's leg until a swing of his sword severed it. Another had Yusuke around the chest as he punched at it one-armed with a Reiki-glowing fist. The creature spotted them and Kurama could almost swear he saw cruel laughter dancing in those pale eyes. Without warning, it turned and swam off, dragging Yusuke. Kuwabara could hold his breath no longer and kicked desperately for the surface. Running out of options as fast as they were air, the two youkai followed.

Kuwabara broke the surface, swearing incoherently. "It g-got Uram-meshi," he finally gasped.

Kurama shook his head, scowling. "No, n-not 'it'."

"Bokuma," Hiei snarled. "It has to be."

"N-now w-what?" Kuwabara stuttered as they made their way for shore, his sword lighting their way. He gasped at a sudden thought. "Boku-kuma won't k-k-kill 'im, will he? I m-mean, Urameshi's h-human. H-he can't!"

Hiei's eyes were as hard as Kurama had ever seen them. "Don't count on it."

The three gained the lake's edge, Kuwabara and Kurama shivering violently as they dragged themselves out of the icy, slimy water. "N-n-now what?" the human repeated sullenly, teeth chattering uncontrollably. He looked at Hiei and Kurama could see the question in his eyes - _Why doesn't _he_ seem cold?_ - but the human was too numb to bother voicing it.

Kurama recognized that his mind had slowed, another effect of the settling hypothermia. "B-bokuma can m-mask himself but Y-yusuke can-not," he reasoned after a long moment. "Kuwa-b-bara, can you s-sense Yusuke?"

That perked up the big guy. Kuwabara closed his eyes, quieting his mind.

Hiei partially pulled his sword and scowled as Kuwabara concentrated. "He's going to owe me a new one after this."

Kurama ignored him as he, too, reached out with his senses, even knowing that Kuwabara's range was greater than his. After a moment, he asked quietly, "Anyth-thing?"

Kuwabara frowned slightly, his eyes still closed. "Naw, n-nothin' y-yet."

Kurama thought for a moment, fighting off the mental sluggishness. "K-kuwa-b-bara, B-botan told me that you f-followed a - " He hesitated only an instant, resisting the reflex to glance at Hiei "- a mental th-thread of sorts to f-find Yukina yesterday. Y-you and Y-yusuke have known each oth-ther for a v-very long time. Surely, there is s-some tangible con-nection from that. C-can you find or f-form a similar thread to Y-yusuke?" Hiei gave Kurama an odd look but thankfully, in Kurama's mind, chose not to comment.

Kuwabara thought about that for a long moment, his own thinking severely hampered by the chill. He held up his fist as though about to punch something, then gasped in delight as something seemed to appear to him. "Hey, y-yeah, I got someth-thin'! Huh - w-well, that's w-weird . . . this one's r-red, too. Heh heh, g-guess that's cuz'a all the s-scrapes me an' U-urameshi've been through."

"Do I even _want_ to know?" Hiei muttered.

"Ah, n-no, you d-don't," Kurama quickly assured him before the human could retort, then asked, "W-where does the s-string lead?"

Kuwabara glared at Hiei for a heartbeat before turning to Kurama. "Uh, well, th-that's the b-bad news. It l-leads out th-there. M-must be a u-underwater t-tunnel or somethin'." He pointed out far over the water, back in the direction of the rock face from which the waterfall flowed.

_If we don't drown or freeze to death along the way . . ._ Kurama paused as another particularly fierce shudder wracked him and he briefly caught himself wishing for Hiei's koorime immunity. He sighed. "I c-can see no other . . . ch-choice. We'll follow the sh-shore around to the w-wall, then . . . climb until w-we're over the . . . tunnel. N-no point in . . . getting back into the w-water . . . before we have to."

Hiei frowned at Kurama's changing speech pattern - but there was nothing he could do. "He knows that we'll follow. You saw the look he gave us."

"Y-yes, I d-did," Kurama nodded, himself ignoring his increasing stuttering, "which m-means that it must . . . be ph-physically p-possible . . . to reach him." He paused as a yawn overtook him. "P-perhaps there are . . . air p-pockets along the t-tunnel . . . or that it is not t-terribly l-long."

"Yes, Kurama . . . and perhaps we'll pass under another magma flow before you _freeze _to death," Hiei rejoined caustically, honest concern in his eyes despite his tone.

Kuwabara had been looking over both of his companions with an unusually serious and quiet expression. He took a moment to collect his own chill-scattered thoughts, then commented quietly, "L-look, you g-guys're hurt p-pretty bad an' I . . . would say th-that you just . . . w-wait here . . . lemme go g-get Urameshi . . ." Yawn. " - and m-me and him'll p-pound Bokum-ma to a p-pulp for ya . . . b-but I know y-you guys gotta . . . g-go, too, or you'll s-still be in t-trouble. How 'b-bout I swim an' p-pull you guys along s-so you can . . . save your s-strength until we g-get there?"

Kurama only gazed at him for a moment in some surprise. He turned to Hiei, equally startled that Hiei did not verbally shoot down the idea right off. Hiei was already looking up at him in consideration. The expression in the smaller youkai's eyes mirrored his own thoughts. They were each nearly spent, both physically and in terms of energy. The blood beetles had taken a steep toll on their Yoki and what was left was bolstering their life energies to keep them both on their feet - not to mention Kurama's deepening hypothermia. Hiei knew as well as Kurama did that their chances of surviving the upcoming fight - let alone winning it - were slim to none. Pride could not stop them from accepting any help they could get at this point.

In spite of that realization, Hiei would not verbally acknowledge the weakness. Once again, Kurama spoke for both of them. "Th-thank you, K-kuwa-b-bara. W-we'll each take a . . . hold of your belt s-so . . ." Big yawn. " - your limbs will s-still be free - or as f-free as they can b-be," he added, glancing down at the pot on Kuwabara's foot.

Hiei reminded them, "Yusuke's been underwater for several minutes now. He may well be unconscious already." The other two nodded, mindful of the urgency of his situation.

With that, the threesome turned and made their way along the waterline to the wall, Kurama and Kuwabara stumbling behind Hiei's lead. As they moved, Kuwabara reached up under his shirt to scratch, muttering at some of the dart wounds where salt from the previous lake clung to his skin. He stopped suddenly, straightening at a thought. "Hey, w-wait a s-sec." He lifted his shirt. "Hey, K-kurama, can you u-use this to b-bind up Hiei's a-arm?"

Kurama considered the bandaging wrapped around the human's waist. He remembered seeing it once before, back in Maze Castle. Kurama had never asked nor figured out why Kuwabara wore it but it had saved the human's life in his second fight against Byakko. Now it might be of life-saving use again. "Yes, th-thank you! Hiei - ?"

"We don't have time for that!" Hiei snapped. "Yusuke - "

"W-will just have t-to . . . wait an-nother half-m-minute."

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Hiei knew Kurama was not thinking clearly. He also knew better than to argue with the fox when he set his mind to something. "Fine - but I'm not going to be the one to kiss him and bring him back!" The youkai did not know the proper term for resusitation, though he had seen it done a few times.

Kuwabara shuddered even more violently than he had been. "Eww! I h-had a d-dream about th-that once! I-it w-was t-t-terrib-ble!"

Hiei wrinkled his nose but did not protest as Kuwabara attempted to hastily unwrap the bandaging from his trunk. His motor skills were slipping and Kurama had to help, his own control visibly lacking. Between the two of them, they managed not to drop the bandage. Kurama double-checked the setting of Hiei's shoulder before tying off one end of the wrapping to his wrist, folding his arm up against his chest and binding it much as Hiei had done for Kurama what felt like days ago now. He paused in empathy as Hiei tensed with a sharp hiss at the first wrap, the smooth cloth laying across several whiplashes. He frowned an apology but continued when Hiei nodded a reassurance.

Hiei watched in concern as Kurama fumbled a few times as he worked. The shivering had relented somewhat. He guessed that it was not a good sign. Kurama paused more than once to flex his fingers to make them respond as he expected. Kuwabara was of no help, yawning and muttering absently to himself. _This would go faster if I just did it myself_, Hiei complained silently but he retained enough respect for his friend to allow him to finish the task, helping only a little.

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Kurama was indeed frustrated with his own lack of coordination, but there was nothing he could do about it. He completed his work, then led the way as the threesome continued around the shore.

They reached the wall and climbed horizontally just above the waterline, pausing periodically for Kuwabara to check their progress by re-sensing for the psionic guidance string. Physically the worst off of the three, Kurama lost his grip and fell before they reached the target, gasping in spite of himself as the frigid water closed around him. He swam below as the other two continued along the wall. Finally, Kuwabara nodded to Hiei and they joined Kurama in the water. Hiei positioned himself to Kuwabara's left and grasped his belt with his good hand. Kurama secured the belt in his left. Kuwabara met both their eyes. "Okay. Y-you guys r-ready?"

"Let's get this over with," Hiei growled. Kurama nodded silently, pulling a deep breath as Kuwabara dove down, limbs pumping with surprisingly powerful strokes despite the human's handicaps.

The tunnel quickly came into view of the light from the Spirit Sword. It was only about fifteen feet below the surface but Kurama saw Kuwabara shaking his head in discomfort. He himself was yet unaffected but he knew that the human was probably unaccustomed to the pressure of even this relatively shallow depth and wondered if he sustained any damage to his eardrums from the first plunge when Bokuma had dragged him under. Kuwabara made a visible decision to ignore the pain and swam into the mouth of the tunnel. They continued for a dozen feet or more before Kurama tapped Kuwabara. _-Kuwabara, there!-_

Kuwabara paused just long enough to glance back at Kurama, surprised by the telepathic communication. _-Hey, you can do this, too?-_

Kurama allowed a quick nod. _-Never mind that. Air!-_

_-Oh, right!-_ He turned and swam for a smooth section in the rock tunnel's ceiling which indicated a possible air pocket. Kurama ignored the roll of eyes when Hiei caught his gaze briefly.

Hiei hesitated just long enough to draw a deep breath of stale air before commenting, "Water's pretty murky but I can see what must be our destination. About forty to forty-five meters ahead, the tunnel turns to the left and down. About there, too, is a wide smooth spot in the . . . the 'ceiling' of this tunnel. My guess is there's a cave up there, a pocket of space above the waterway. Something is floating in the tunnel about halfway there. I'm pretty sure it's Yusuke."

"Let us g-go, then!" Kurama insisted. Kuwabara nodded, pausing just long enough for everyone to pull a deep breath before diving once again.

As soon as they were close enough, Kurama grabbed Yusuke's arm, eliciting a feeble response, and Kuwabara swam for the next air pocket. Yusuke coughed and sputtered, clearing his lungs of brackish water, as soon as his head broke the surface. "D-damn thing l-lemme go in the m-middle of freaking n-nowhere! Of course . . . my ch-chopping off t-two of its t-tentacles might've had s-something to d-do with it," he added with a wicked grin, even more so with his lips an alarming blue against his wax-colored face.

"And Kuwabara managed to cut one off," Hiei commented, looking at Kurama.

"Hey! W-whaddya mean 'm-managed' to - !"

"Th-then he is i-injured," Kurama nodded, ignoring Kuwabara's outburst. "It m-may not be . . .m- much but right now we c-can use all the . . . advantage we can a-attain." Again he shook his head at his inability to articulate and switched to telepathy to explain to Yusuke what Hiei had described. Yusuke had Hiei transfer to himself, taking some of the strain off of Kuwabara. Together, they plunged back under and the two humans swam, drawing their youkai friends along with them. They paused in one more air pocket before reaching their destination.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	22. Chapter 22 End of the Line

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 22 – End of the Line

Low chuckling met their ears as they broke the surface. They had indeed come up into one corner of another cave of sorts, barely more than a large space in the solid bedrock hollowed out by eons of eroding water movement. From what little he knew of geology from school, Kurama suspected that this watery entrance was the only way in or out of this cave. That was not a good thing. The ground was relatively smooth but uneven. The walls to either side stood roughly thirty feet apart and ran a length of some fifty to sixty. The low, guttural chuckling came from somewhere near the far end of the cave.

Kuwabara's Spirit Sword illuminated a monstrosity that took the best of an eclectic assortment of creatures in an impressive blending of power, speed, and lethality. Orange eyes gleamed at them from the head of a predatory reptile, not unlike a tyrannosaurus rex, thick eye ridges sweeping out from its brow to form forward-curving horns like a ram. Long, muscular legs supported a barrel-shaped chest like that of a draft horse and high, thin hips reminiscent of a greyhound. Sharp, curving talons tipped each toe. A prehensile tail swished back and forth, flicking around the hind legs in anticipation, a small scorpion's stinger on its tip. Rough, gray-brown armor covered it, a leathery hide that appeared to be something between an insect's exoskeleton and a rhinoceros' skin. The beast stood some ten to fifteen feet at the shoulder and perhaps twenty feet long plus tail, which was at least equal to its body length. The scent of blood in the air from minor cuts around the narrow forepaws was the only evidence of the lost tentacles from the previous form.

Yusuke leaned over to Kuwabara, wrinkling his nose at the sight. "Hey, r-remember those d-demonic d-dog-things from that m-movie you talked about e-earlier, with g-good ol' Mr. S-stay-Puft? I th-think we j-just found their b-big b-b-brother."

"Y-yeah," Kuwabara frowned.

The foursome pulled themselves cautiously from the water and into the cave, Hiei and Kurama stepping ahead of the other two. The low laughter grew a little louder, echoing hollowly in the cave, before dying off. A guttural, completely inhuman voice growled at them. "You have done well, my pets. I never expected that you would make it this far, especially with two humans in tow. My labyrinth was not built with such soft, squishy beings in mind. Have you been enjoying yourself, '_Little_ Fire-Eyes'?" Bokuma murmured, taunting Hiei with the nickname Dog had given him. "It's been _so long_ since we played last."

Kurama glanced down at Hiei and saw the memories of unspoken horrors playing behind his ruby eyes. Hiei scowled deeply, refusing to meet Kurama's gaze.

"Hey, u-ugly!" Yusuke called. The great head shifted slightly, cocking an amused eye at the upstart human. "I h-hope you've s-said your final p-prayers, b-buddy, 'cuz K-koenma's about to j-judge your sorry s-spirit ass!"

Kurama shook his head inwardly, cringing slightly for his friend's sake. What was meant to be a threat sounded rather comical in the hypothermic stuttering.

"Y-yeah!" Kuwabara rejoined. "You th-think you're so b-bad, pushing p-people around a-and hurtin' 'em an' s-stuff. It's t-time for a t-taste of your own m-medicine, you b-big b-bully!" Kuwabara drew back his sword and began to charge, Yusuke by his side with a Reiki-glowing fist, but the crack of something across their path stopped them both in their tracks. "Woah! Hey, K-kurama, watch where you th-throw that thing!"

"Kurama - ?" Yusuke stopped at the terrible look in Kurama's hard green eyes.

Kurama recoiled his Rose Whip, speaking slowly to force the chattering out of his voice. He ignored the reason he knew that it proved easier than he feared. "Yusuke, Kuwabara - thank you both . . . for your help thus far. Hiei and I . . . could not have gotten here . . . without you. However, I am afraid . . . that I must insist. This . . . this fight is _mine_."

"Ours."

Kurama turned to Hiei, meeting a fury and outrage equal to his own. He had hoped to spare Hiei but had known, really, that his friend would not be denied. He nodded. "Ours."

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Yusuke stared at the two for a long moment. He knew how badly injured they both were. Each swayed ever so slightly where he stood. It would be a miracle if they even survived this fight, let alone won it. Still, he could not deny the determination and anger in their eyes.

"A f-fight among men," Kuwabara breathed beside him, likely unconscious of the fact that he, too, was not shivering as violently as before. "We c-can't interfere, Urameshi . . . even if it k-kills 'em." He stood glaring, and Yusuke knew him well enough to read his face: he almost hated himself in that moment for his honor code which might cost the two their lives, but he would stay out no matter what.

Yusuke nodded slowly, then gave them a thumbs-up gesture with a wink. "Like K-koenma said, give this bastard his d-due, you guys."

Both youkai nodded grimly before turning their full attentions to the adversary. They stepped forward, shifting apart to widen their defense - Kurama to the right and Hiei to the left, sword drawn.

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Hiei scowled as Bokuma laughed again, a terrible sound in the voice of this monster. "Oh, yes, I will most definitely be getting my due, human. Do you have any idea how long Hiei and I worked together? Oh, I love that scowl on your face, Little Fire-Eyes. I have so missed it. You are a strong one, probably the strongest I've ever had the pleasure of trying to break. You never did. Perhaps in time . . . but, ah well. Too bad it has to end today. You will die and you, my dear Red Rabbit, will be back where you were always meant to be . . . in my Pit, forever."

"K-kurama," Yusuke growled, "what the h-hell's this guy t-talking about?"

Bokuma advanced slowly, holding Kurama's gaze with his own eerie orange orbs. "If you think I got personal before, that's nothing compared to the depths I will plunge once you are back where you belong. In time, you will come to appreciate our moments together . . . even _beg_ for them."

Hiei felt his heart skip a beat in revulsion, his breath hitching in his throat. Very early this morning, when Hiei had been bathing his friend, cleaning wounds and checking all over for injuries, he had come across evidence of deeper abuses he had hoped he read incorrectly, sickened by the very thought of it. He had put it out of his mind, telling himself that there was no way to know for certain, that for all his friend - his brother - had been through, he had not suffered _that_. Needing a reason to continue to disbelieve, Hiei looked to Kurama for confirmation that Bokuma's promises were nothing more than empty threats.

Kurama stared at Bokuma, his visage a hard mask but his face ashen, the deep horror in his eyes robbing Hiei of the last of his doubt. Kurama's voice, when he found it, was a broken but determined gasp. "Never!"

Hiei had been furious before but a blinding rage overcame him just then with the confirmation. "Bastard!_ No one_ so dishonors those I run with!" he snarled.

-_HIEI!_-

Kurama's voice shot across Hiei's mind like a whipcrack, interrupting his enraged charge. He had never heard Kurama raise his voice like that, even mentally. -_What!_- he snapped before he could catch himself, shocked into inaction by the sharp command in Kurama's tone.

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Kurama hesitated a moment. The deepening effects of the hypothermia had led to less shivering but, in return, had stolen his mental and emotional control as a reactive fury had washed through him before he could properly manage it. He put a stranglehold on those dark passions before stating calmly, both to Hiei and to himself, -_Do not allow Bokuma to goad you. We must be very cautious and very smart about how we do this. You know as well as I do that we cannot take him on in a direct assault even together, not as we are. We must work together in a concerted effort, coordinate our attacks very specifically_.-

As much as the smaller youkai hated it, Kurama sensed through the mindlink that Hiei had to admit to himself Kurama was right . . . again. -_You sound like you have a plan?_-

-_I have. We will remove his senses one at a time, starting with his sight and perhaps his sense of smell. Shift his attention to yourself, far to our left. You do not have to get too close. Just keep him occupied. Try to stay on that side of him and be extra careful of your footing._-

-_Understood._-

8 8 8 8 8

Hiei only caught a vague sense of Kurama's intent but he trusted his partner without question. Whatever Kurama was planning, Hiei would not let him down. He would make sure to do his part.

Kurama began to glow softly with Yoki. -_Now!_-

Hiei charged, darting straight in before dodging widely to the left and back in, successfully avoiding a strike from Bokuma's claw even as the potted foot nearly slid out from underneath him. Out of the corner of his eye, Hiei noted Kurama drop to one knee, planting the palm of his hand firmly to the ground. Hiei braced with his balance on his potted foot and leaped, bouncing further up off of the wide shoulder to land on the back of the monster's neck. Reversing his sword in his grip, he made a jab at the eye further from Kurama, keeping Bokuma's attention away from his partner as instructed.

8 8 8 8 8

Kurama knelt with one hand down, channeling his Yoki throughout the slime that coated his skin and clothing from the lake. At his mental command, the slime grew rapidly across the ground toward Bokuma from the right, creating a slick carpet by which he planned to unsettle his enemy's footing. The carpet extended only to the inner edges of Bokuma's far claws, allowing Hiei relative freedom of movement on the other side. That accomplished, Kurama sat back on his heel. With his motor and cognitive functions as deeply affected as they were, he could not afford to get into direct melee combat, forced to leave that part to Hiei.

He willed his Rose Whip to coil up his arm, freeing his hand to reach into his pocket, his left hand going to the damaged rose still stowed under his hair. From his pocket, he pulled the blood beetle venom sac and the collection of needles from the lava tube. He frowned as Hiei leaped from Bokuma's back, stumbling as he landed. The pot messed up his footing and his balance was off from pain and exhaustion. There was nothing Kurama could do for him but what he was already. He set the sac on his thigh braced up against his hip and stuck the needles into his pant leg at an angle for easy access. In his other hand, the damaged rose lengthened and corkscrewed tightly, coiling into a hollow tube of sorts. Putting the makeshift blowgun to his lips, he punctured a few needles into the sac, coating the tips with venom, dropped them into the other end of the tube, aimed, and blew. The breath of a normal human might not be able to propel the substitute darts without some kind of feathering on the back ends to catch the air, but Kurama was not a normal human. It took him two tries to get the angle of his aim right but the third attempt landed a few needles successfully into Bokuma's left eye as the beast feigned a bite at Hiei, only to attack in earnest with the swipe of his claw.

8 8 8 8 8

Sword braced before him, Hiei tried to dodge with a leap back but he was not fast enough. The talons ripped across his bad shoulder and into his bound arm, the motion picking up his slight body and tossing it like a rag doll back towards Kurama. Hiei landed up across the backs of his shoulders, skidding headfirst for several feet before friction slowed him to a stop. He lay for just a moment, fighting for control as the knife wound and raw whipfire screamed through his mind along with the pain from the new claw gashes. He had felt the curved talons catch on the two bones in his forearm and feared that they may have severed one or both bones in several pieces. He guessed that only the binding was left to hold his arm to his body. He refused to look down to verify, not wanting to know the true extent of the damage just yet.

8 8 8 8 8

Kurama managed one more shot of his blowgun as Bokuma turned with the follow-through of his attack, blocking out the agony shrieking through his concentration from his wounded partner. Bokuma seemed to ignore the swelling in his eye and now one side of his snout as he turned his attention on the former thief.

Bokuma paused to brush the needles from his flesh. "As much as I appreciate the love kisses you have been blowing my way, I'm afraid I still get to punish you for the minor inconvenience." Lightning-fast, Bokuma leaped halfway across the cave, slipping on the slime before his claws tore deep into the soft stone for traction, and skidded around with a lash of his tail.

Kurama leaped, even knowing his stiffened muscles would not carry him clear of the tail. It caught him just above the knee, flipping him over it. He twisted in mid-air, attempting an acrobatic tumble to land on his feet but his weary, frozen body simply could not react quickly enough. Like Hiei, he found himself on his back, breath blasted from his lungs by the impact and his own whipfire agony, further sensitized by the hypothermia. He could only pray he blocked his pain from Hiei fast enough to spare his friend some of the backlash.

8 8 8 8 8

Hiei had managed to roll his way upright, crouched back on the pot with his sword braced before him, frowning as he vaguely watched Kurama go down. He was breathing hard and his vision was even more blurred than before, head pounding as he fought to ignore a distracting nausea, his stomach threatening to rebel.

Bokuma chortled again as Kurama worked himself painfully to his knees, willing his Rose Whip back down into his grip as the blowgun shifted into something like a rosewood parrying dagger. "Come, come. Are you even _trying_? Heh, heh - obviously, my little rabbit-fox, you _want _to come back."

"No!" Hiei snarled, far more sickened by the images and sensations that flicked through his mind from Kurama than by his own concussion. Losing himself to a protective fury that flashed through him once again, he shoved to his feet, sword still reversed in his grip. He dove at Bokuma, ducking in under the slashing claw to get right up between his foreleg and his head. Once again finding a tenuous balance on the potted foot, he leaped with his free leg, angling his sword outward from himself to slash up along Bokuma's jaw. Howling in pain, Bokuma retaliated with an upward swipe meant to gut the fiesty little pest. Hiei pulled his knees in, catching the claws with his lower legs. The defense spared his vital organs but sacrificed his limbs as the talons dug deeply into the flesh even as Hiei was sent flying back once more, this time to land in the water near Yusuke and Kuwabara. He thought he heard the crack of a whip before the water closed over his head.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	23. Chapter 23 Trial by Combat

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
|by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 23 - Trial by Combat

_I been knocked down so many times; Counted out - 6, 7, 8, 9  
Written off like some bad deal; If you're breathing, you know how it feels_

_This ain't no game, I play it hard; Kicked around, cut, stitched and scarred_  
_I'll take the hit but not the fall; I know no fear, still standing tall_  
_You can call it karma, call it luck; Me, I just don't give a - b-b-b-b-_

_Bounce, Bounce - Nothing's gonna keep me down  
Bounce, Bounce - Stand up, shout it out  
Bounce, Bounce - I play hard, I play to win  
Count me out, count me in  
I'll be bouncing back again  
Bounce!_

"Bounce" - Bon Jovi

"_Hiei!_" Yusuke saw the cloud of blood that blossomed up in the murky water. He prepared to dive in after Hiei, even though he had finally stopped shivering, but the youkai re-emerged. Hiei pulled himself back out, crouched wearily on his knees, propped up on his sword. Blood pooled under him from terrible gashes in both legs. Ignoring the humans, Hiei scowled at Bokuma but Yusuke could read the angry despair in the swordsman's eyes. _Bokuma really is gonna kill them!_ He looked out at the beast as Kurama pulled himself to his feet after the initial Rose Whip attack. _If he'd really wanted to, Bokuma could have already. He's . . . he's just toying with them! DAMMIT!_ Yusuke raged silently, then growled, "That's it. I'm going in."

He had expected Hiei's snarl of "Stay out of this, Yusuke!" but what he had not expected was the grip of powerful hands on his arms from behind, holding him back. "Kuwabara! What the _freakin_' hell do you think - ?"

There was anguish in Kuwabara's gaze as he ignored Yusuke to meet Hiei's startled eyes before turning to watch Kurama. In spite of the mental confusion of the chill, there was also understanding in those deep black-brown eyes. "I told you, Urameshi - we _can't_ interfere. It's not even just a matter of honor. You heard what Kurama said. 'Trial by combat.' If they don't win this on their own, even if they do survive, they'll still be considered guilty! Even if Bokuma dies, Kurama'll still hafta go back to that Pit place a-and Hiei . . . " His voice failed him.

"I'd sooner die here than . . . that," Hiei swore softly, nodding at Kuwabara.

Yusuke could not accept it. "_NO!_ Dammit, it's not like I have so many friends that I can just sit here on my stupid ass and watch two of them get killed! He's going to _kill_ you, Hiei!"

Hiei hesitated a moment, stunned by part of Yusuke's comment. Then, he gave the human a reassuring grin with another nod of confidence. "Then so be it."

8 8 8 8 8

Kuwabara, too, saw the effect of Yusuke's words. He had called Hiei "friend." Openly. Kuwabara wondered if anyone had ever done that for the lone-wolf swordsman before. In spite of his own aggravation with the "shrimp" as often as not, he could not deny that he too considered Hiei a friend. Yeah, maybe he wanted to pound the little punk into the pavement himself on occasion but he knew in his heart that he would go to Hiei's defense in an instant if anyone else ever threatened him. Only circumstance held him at bay now - and that barely. Hiei fully expected to die here and he was at peace with that, even though he would go down fighting all the way.

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke slumped back into Kuwabara, defeated. He could not accept this but he did not have to. He had no choice but to watch things play out as they would. Fortune had turned her back on his friends and all he could do was watch. "Damn it!" he swore, half sobbing, as he closed his eyes in denial.

8 8 8 8 8

Kurama had not taken his eyes off of his adversary but he heard all that was said. _Yusuke, Kuwabara, thank you so much for everything._ He could not spare the breath to say it aloud but he could think it in prayer. He had finally come up with a plan, one that would win them this fight - _if_ he could muster enough Yoki to pull it off. If not -

Kurama cracked the whip again. He had succeeded in deeply injuring Bokuma across the shoulder while Bokuma was distracted with Hiei. A second strike would sever the limb. A shock of panic shot through him when Bokuma parried the whip, letting it wrap around one paw a few times. Bokuma gripped the plant weapon and gave a powerful yank, hauling Kurama off his feet and straight at his enemy. Kurama was jerked suddenly upright as Bokuma reared up on his hind legs and the sudden change in momentum popped his weakened shoulder out of joint again. Kurama cried out in pain even as something wrapped itself around his body, trapping his other arm against him. It was Bokuma's tail. Kurama shuddered, gasping and bucking in wretched protest as the tip slid seductively up his inner thigh. "Anxious, are we? Ah, the intimacy." Bokuma lowered Kurama's upraised, dislocated arm, bending it back behind him, forcing his chest out and head back. A long, serpentine tongue came out to lick up Kurama's face in a caress of total possession and control.

8 8 8 8 8

Miserable revulsion whipped at Hiei from his partner's rebelling mind. He realized that his friend was radiating emotions where he would not have normally, the loss of emotion control allowing Hiei to know the full extent of Kurama's. It told him far more than he ever would have wanted. He did not know if he could bring himself to do it but he feared that Kurama had only one escape from the horrific nightmare that awaited him _when_ they inevitably lost this fight.

Before he was killed by Bokuma, Hiei would have to kill Kurama.

_No!_ He shook his head. _There has to be another answer. I won't! I . . . can't!_ Another wave of nausea washed over Hiei and he could no longer tell if it was from the concussion or his friend, his brother. _Ignore that!_ he snarled at himself. His brother needed him _now_. Trading thought for pure reaction, Hiei charged for what he knew in his heart would be the last time.

Instinctively, his first strike was at Bokuma's tail, seeking to free Kurama of its hold. Again, wordless, abhorrent objection slammed Hiei as Bokuma snuggled his toy close, even going so far as to support him with one leg between his prisoner's, shifting Kurama out of the way for a clear shot at Hiei with the other claw. This time, the swordsman lacked the strength even to attempt to block or dodge.

Bokuma refrained from employing his talons again, merely swept up the brutally-injured youkai and flung him into the rock wall to his left. A sickening thud echoed through the chamber as Hiei smashed into the unforgiving stone and dropped limply to the ground, leaving blood smears in his wake.

8 8 8 8 8

Kurama felt the impact reverberate through his mind, a red-black haze of stars bursting across his sight. Then . . . nothing. "_HIEI!_" The heartsick cry was wrenched from Kurama's throat as he twisted in Bokuma's embrace to watch his brother's fall. Upon landing, Hiei did not move. "Hiei! No, _Hiei!_" He did not even try to stop the tears that sprang to his eyes.

"Awww, was that your friend, little fox? All right, go say your goodbye." Bokuma lightly traced one talon down Kurama's jaw, drawing blood, before lightly slinging him after Hiei.

There was little real strength behind the toss. Nevertheless, Kurama slammed the wall hard enough to steal his breath, the impact jarring his disjointed shoulder as sharp stone edges dug mercilessly into the whip wounds, and he fell heavily, collapsing to hand and knees. The body, especially a human's – even if only half so – could only take so much abuse before it mutinied - Kurama wretched and coughed violently several times before he could recover himself. He rocked back onto his heels, left palm still braced in front of his knees as the right hung useless at his side, head bowed as he fought back tears of exhaustion, agony, and grief. Even if he converted everything he could muster, all of his life energy, he feared he did not have enough left in him to do what he had planned. _And Hiei . . . _

A small pebble dug into his ankle and the back of his thigh from his pant hem, even as Yoki bit at him suddenly, incessantly. Kurama sat bolt upright in shock. _Of course!_ Furthermore, it drew his attention back to his brother. He felt his heart leap in hope as he realized that he could still sense Hiei's Yoki. It was faint but present. Hiei was not dead!

_Hold on just a little longer, my friend. I will end this for you. I swear it!_

Kurama turned, locating his roses as Bokuma approached ever so slowly. He snatched them up, then shifted on his knees over to Hiei. Setting both by his brother's head, he stretched out his good hand over them, pumping them full of Yoki. "Rose Shield!" Kurama called. The roses responded, exploding up and over Hiei's body in a tightly-woven mesh shell. _There. That will protect you for now - and hold you should you regain consciousness before I have finished._

8 8 8 8 8

"H-hiei . . . " Kuwabara murmured, voice broken by the beginnings of grief.

Yusuke shook his head. "No, Kuwabara. Hiei must be just unconscious or Kurama wouldn't have done something like that. And get a look at Kurama's eyes. He's got something up his sleeve."

"You sure, Urameshi?" Kuwabara paused. "Uh, like what?"

"I dunno," Yusuke muttered, "but whatever it is . . . it had better work."

8 8 8 8 8

Bokuma chuckled cruelly as he continued his advance. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Is this your way of burying your dead, my little fox? Concede. You have lost, Kurama. You are mine . . . or do I get to punish you a little more here and now?"

Kurama had been shifting sideways on his knees, positioning himself in front of Hiei. "This fight is _not_ over yet, Bokuma!"

Bokuma cocked his large, bestial head to one side briefly, a motion of both amusement and annoyance at his pet's continuing insolence. "Feisty, feisty, little rabbit-fox - one of the many reasons I like you so much. Still, I grow weary of this game. Hm . . . this should take the last bit of fight out of you - for now." He ducked his head and chest down without warning, hindquarters raising as his tail shot forward in a scorpion-style strike.

Kurama dove the last foot to his goal - Hiei's sword. He snatched it up in his remaining usable hand, parrying the stinger in the last instant. However, the force of the strike knocked the sword from Kurama's grip, sending it skittering noisily across the ground far out of Kurama's reach.

Yusuke and Kuwabara could only stare in shock as Kurama sank back, dropping his good hand into his lap on the ankle folded under him, defeated. "That - _that_ was it?" Kurama heard Yusuke sputter incredulously. "_That_ was your last plan - Hiei's stupid sword? Damn it, Kurama! GET YOUR STUPID ASS BACK UP, FOX-BOY!"

Head bowed low so that his bangs hid his face, Kurama suppressed a small smile. He was eternally grateful to have known people such as they. It was enough for him to know that they would live. It would be up to them, his friends, to get his brother out of this gods-forsaken place and make sure he got proper healing attention. _Heh, too bad that I was right. I am indeed going to die down here._

_There!_ Finally, he had worked it free and into his palm - and without Bokuma's noticing. He could only pray it was enough to make the difference.

Pickpocketing, palming, concealment, sleight-of-hand, bait-and-switch, deceptions of many kinds - these and more were the staples of his former profession, skills he had mastered centuries ago. Even the dive for the sword had been little more than a ruse, knowing that Bokuma would expect him to make a move like that. He allowed another small grin at himself in rueful humor. _Once a thief, always a thief? Well, then, let my last act be my greatest theft . . . to rob vile Bokuma of his toys, his position, his freedom - everything he has tried to do to Hiei and to me and gods-only-know how many others._

_ Gods above and below, may it be . . . justice be done._

Bokuma hovered over his defeated prey, chuckling. "Now you see, my little fox. You were never meant to win. Come, admit defeat and I'll even reward you by sparing the humans' lives."

Kurama did not need to see the sly expression in Bokuma's orange orbs to realize the lie. He looked up then and saw Bokuma startle back from the fierce light in his glittering green eyes. "No, Bokuma. It ends _here_, _NOW!_" He straightened suddenly, sitting up on his knees, his left fist held up before him. He heard Yusuke and Kuwabara gasp as Yoki flared throughout his entire body, stirring his long hair, his eyes flashing with golden light.

8 8 8 8 8

Hiei felt an incredible gathering of Yoki as his consciousness rose painfully up from the blackness. He felt the hard pressure of rough stone under his cheek and chest. Forcing his eyes open, he thought for a moment that his sight had failed him entirely as a haze of green filled his vision. He blinked several times but his sight did not improve. From the fierce pounding in the back of his skull, he knew that it would not. He thought for a moment - as his weary, pain-riddled mind recalled where he was - that the gathering energy was a final attack by Bokuma. Then he realized whose Yoki he was sensing. That knowledge jolted through him as he recognized the energy patterns of a major summoning. _He intends to summon a Demon Realm plant against Bokuma. No! What is he thinking? He doesn't have enough Yoki left for something like that! It will kill him!_ Hiei forced himself up on his elbow, pulling his knees under him on the strength of will alone. He realized that the green haze was more than just his failed sight. He reached out, his hand stopped by a stiff mesh of some kind with a vague rose scent to it - no doubt Kurama's handiwork. Gripping it, he pulled himself further upright, forcing his eyes to focus beyond the green to a figure just outside enveloped in a powerful golden glow. Hiei could not tell where the red of hair ended and the red of bloody whiplashes began but he could not mistake that it was his brother. "Kurama, no! You don't have enough Yoki for that! You'll die!" He did not even try to keep the anguish from his voice.

He did not hear Kurama's soft verbal reply through the rushing in his ears but he could not ignore the calm, reassuring voice in his mind. _-Freedom, Hiei. Live well . . . my friend . . . my . . . brother._-

Heedless of the pain and damage to his own body, Hiei threw himself desperately against the Rose Shield. "No! _Kurama, NOOO!_"

8 8 8 8 8

Yusuke and Kuwabara watched with equal grief as Kurama collapsed forward, faceplanting into the stone. The Yoki halo coalesced above the back of Kurama's shoulders and huge vines exploded forth. Bokuma stumbled back in shock, parrying the first few away from himself but there were too many. Vines wrapped his limbs, his torso, his throat, even his tail. He slashed, he stung, he bit and tore with his teeth but to no avail. He howled and shrieked in protest as his great body was lifted easily high off the ground, wrapped and wrapped until he was completely engulfed in vines. At length, the last of the plant emerged from the dimensional portal Kurama had formed - a huge, fleshy bulb from which all the vines grew, roots acting like a centipede's legs to push the bulb off of the summoner's body and under the meal the summoner had promised and so satisfactorily delivered. Yusuke did not have the ability but Kuwabara could sense it. The vines were not doing Bokuma any real harm but rather draining him of his Yoki. Both humans watched in shock as, after a few moments, Bokuma shifted back into his natural form, unable to hold the shapechange once enough of his energies had been drained away. Now a much smaller form, his body disappeared from view in a ball of vines, still screaming in fury and denial as the vines pulled its meal down to rest on the bulb, finishing their job.

8 8 8 8 8

Without Kurama's concentration, the Rose Shield collapsed, unraveling as the components reverted to their original forms. Hiei lost no time dragging himself to Kurama's side, pulling himself forward on his knees by one hand, ignoring the blood trail he left in his wake. Tears further blurring his vision, he gripped his brother's shoulder, unwilling and unable to accept the truth before him. Then he gasped and his hand shifted to Kurama's throat, fingers feeling gingerly for the carotid artery. No, his senses had not fooled him.

Kurama stirred just then, a soft moan escaping his lips. "Kurama!" Hiei gasped, the name wrenched from his throat by a combination of relief, disbelief, and protective anger. Kurama shifted slightly to look up at him, giving his brother a weary, reassuring smile. "How . . . how did you - ? You didn't have enough Yoki. You had to have converted all of your life energy to do that. How - ?" Wordlessly, Kurama pulled his arm in and turned his fist over, uncurling his fingers. To Hiei's utter shock, a tiny stone rolled from Kurama's palm, perfectly smooth, a magnificent red-black in color. Hiei did not read any Yoki from it and realized then what Kurama had done. He sat back on his heels, relieved beyond expression. All he could do was shake his head, a big grin softening his face even though part of him wanted to kill Kurama for scaring him so. "Stupid fox," he muttered at length.

Just then, Yusuke and Kuwabara reached them, sliding in the slime carpet and giving wide berth to the energy-draining vine plant. Hiei saw Kurama shift his hand back over the Hirui stone, palming it. Yusuke dropped to his knees next to Hiei, about to comment before he saw that Kurama's eyes were open. "You - you're alive! Damn it, Kurama, if you weren't already so hurt, I'd pound you myself for scaring us like that!" In spite of his words, he was laughing in relief.

Kuwabara knelt on Kurama's other side, carefully working his big hands under the slender shoulders. "All right. Easy does it." Kurama suppressed a moan as Kuwabara gingerly lifted him to a sitting position. All four looked to the vine ball from which muffled cries of fury still emitted. "So . . . uh, Kurama - ?"

"Bokuma is defeated. Without his Yoki, there is not an ability he possesses that he can use against the Yoki-Vampire Vine nor against us and even he is not strong enough to physically break free of its embrace. There are few who can once bound as he is." Kurama turned, catching first the humans' eyes, then meeting Hiei's gaze. "We have won."

"You did it! Kurama, you did it!" Yusuke crowed, even as he helped Hiei to his feet, heavily supporting the smaller youkai.

"No." Kurama shook his head with a grin as Kuwabara gently pulled him to his feet. "_We _did it. Hiei certainly played his part and very well fought in this battle and, as I said before, we would never have even made it here if not for you and Kuwabara."

"Aw, c'mon," Kuwabara murmured almost sheepishly. "It was nothin'."

All four stiffened and turned as they sensed a gathering of energies somewhere on the other side of the Bokuma-vine-ball. A periphery portal opened and a handful of youkai guards emerged. Hiei recognized the captain right away, leading four subordinates. Three of them went to the plant, though they kept a mindful distance, while the captain and the remaining guard slowly approached the foursome. Kuwabara took on the support of Hiei while Yusuke stepped protectively in front of the two injured youkai. "If you want Kurama and Hiei, you're gonna hafta go through me."

The captain stopped a respectful distance from them, his weapon still sheathed and his hands where they could be seen. When he spoke, his voice was surprisingly calm, almost apologetic even. "You are correct that we are here for your companions, human, but not as you think. Youko Kurama, Jaganshi Hiei - Lord Batsukuno requests your presence back in the courtroom. We were sent to assist you if needed and to . . . take custody of the prisoner." He glanced over his shoulder with a decidedly disgusted expression on his face. Then he looked back at Kurama and added almost sheepishly as his guards murmured softly back and forth over who had to try to get into the vine-plant. "There is one small matter, though. How do we get to him?"

Kurama chuckled softly. "Tell your men not to touch it. The Yoki-Vampire Vine will follow me through the portal. Once back in the courtroom, I will have it release Bokuma to you."

The captain nodded, relieved. "Fair enough. Guards!" He snapped his fingers and the men readily backed off, breathing sighs of remission.

Yusuke took back Hiei and he and Kuwabara helped the two youkai limp over to the portal, their glaring looks warning off the guards from offering help. Hiei saw Yusuke grin maliciously at the murmurs of dismay behind them when the vine plant shifted into motion, centipede roots pulling the bulb along behind its summoner, the entangled Bokuma still writhing within the ball of vines.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	24. Chapter 24 Reparation

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 24 - Reparation

The foursome stepped through the portal into the courtroom they had left hours ago now, though it felt like an eternity. More importantly, it was blessedly warm in here. Everyone from that morning was present - with one addition, Kurama noted with some humor. Lord Batsukuno stood at his podium, his face studiously impassive for the moment. Sitting cross-legged on one forward corner of the rostrum was Lord Koenma himself , his stubby arms crossed with a deeply repugnant look on his face as he watched the Bokuma-ball emerge. Kurama feared he might swallow his pacifier for how hard he was sucking on it. He looked up to spot the cube-shaped scrying smoke turning slowly over their heads, the images on every side showing the cave they had just left. Kurama realized that their entire fight had probably been witnessed by the gathered audience. He wondered, from the expression on Koenma's face and the stiffness of Batsukuno's stance, just how much detail they had heard or seen.

"Youko Kurama," the captain intoned respectfully, "please have your plant move to the posts and release the prisoner to us."

Satisfied at the sight of no fewer than a dozen guards around the plant and the whipping posts, Kurama nodded. The plant obeyed the silent command. It was well sated and had no further use for the drained youkai. It pulled itself over to the posts and unraveled. One almost had the impression of a cat "urping" up a hairball as Bokuma rolled free of the vines in a rather undignified manner, cursing and swearing retaliation. The audience might have laughed at him if they were not already frowning and glaring down on him in various states of revulsion. The plant backed up and the guards descended immediately. Bokuma kicked and protested as he was hauled to his feet and his arms were stretched out to either side, a gag stuffed into his mouth to stop the long string of vile obscenities issuing forth. His wrists were locked into manacles, stringing him between the whipping posts.

The captain removed a coiled whip from his belt and turned to Kurama and Hiei. "The honor of the first strike is yours as a part of his punishment."

The two exchanged looks. Even if either had wanted to, neither possessed the strength nor even the balance left for such an action. Kurama shook his head. "Thank you, captain, but no. As much as he deserves it, we will not demean ourselves to his level."

The captain studied them a long moment, surprised by the reply. At length, he nodded. "As you will." He turned and raised a hand, a signal to someone behind Bokuma that Kurama could not see. Bokuma bucked and thrashed against his chains, screaming muffled curses through the gag, as a whip tore into him from behind. The flogging lasted several minutes before Batsukuno gestured. All eyes turned to the Chief Administrator of Justice.

Batsukuno glared at Bokuma for a long moment before he spoke, the mask having cracked to show a storm of outrage and loathing. "Warden Bokuma, for many decades you have been my right hand in the prison of Spirit Realm. You had my trust to take care of business as you saw fit. I had believed myself to have chosen well, even after monitoring you closely for some time since my decision." For a moment, his voice seemed to fail him and he could only shake his head in disbelief. "The depth and the extent of your betrayal and your . . . _depravity_ are beyond words. What you have done to these two is unforgivable. How many others have you wronged so? How many others have you manipulated into your domain? How many have died to keep your secrets, Bokuma!" Bokuma only glared back in hatred and defiance. Batsukuno met that gaze for the span of many heartbeats without so much as flinching. "Had I but known . . ." He shook his head, then straightened his posture, his turn to glare at his warden in fury and judgment. "_Former_ Warden Bokuma, you are hereby relieved of your position and your duties. Until I can decide on a proper . . . response to your heinous crimes, I return you to your beloved Pit - as a prisoner. Kunogisei, get this vile creature out of my sight!"

Kurama startled as Dog stepped up behind Bokuma. _He _does _have a name_, was the only response his stunned mind could formulate for a moment.

The squat, heavily-scarred youkai warden chortled madly as he helped the guards take Bokuma down, locking him into Yoki-dampening shackles. "Oooh, we're going to have so much fun, we are. Ah! Remember some of the things we have discussed, ideas you revealed that you were never able to try? Now we can! Ah, the games, the _games_!" No hint of mercy showed on a single face as Bokuma shrieked through the gag, struggling violently as Kunogisei dragged him off with ease.

Batsukuno waited until the door closed behind the two before he turned his attention to Kurama and Hiei. To their surprise, he silently descended the steps and crossed to them. Kurama did not mistake the gesture. Batsukuno sought to deal with them on a more intimate level, as equals. He paused his steps well out of arms reach of the two, not because he was wary of them but to alleviate any threat they would feel from him. He gazed at them for a long moment, as though seeking the right words to address the wrong they had suffered. They could see it in his eyes - he recognized and did not try to deny even to himself the grave injustices they had been dealt. No mere words could right this nor even begin to make up for it. However, he would do what he could.

He turned first to Kurama, allowing a small smile to ghost his visage. "Perhaps . . . there _is_ such a thing as redemption . . . Kurama."

Kurama did not miss the chief admin's use of his name rather than to call him "thief" or even "half-breed." He also recognized the reference to their last dialogue. He returned the smile, murmuring, "It is not inconceivable for a mistake to be made."

The smile widened slightly, Batsukuno picking up the word game with appreciation. "We both know how often that happens . . . but it _does_ happen." The smile slid off his face, his expression serious. _"Did_ happen. I keep my promises," he murmured softly. "Will you allow me to touch you?"

Kurama felt Kuwabara tense but a squeeze of his hand on the big guy's supporting arm reassured him. "Yes, Lord Batsukuno, I will allow it." Kurama gently pushed away from Kuwabara to stand on his own before the chief admin.

Batsukuno stepped up, first taking Kurama's left arm in hand where the bracer was still locked around his wrist. At a thought, the cuff dropped away. Batsukuno did not even bother to catch it, allowing it to clatter to the ground. Shifting his other hand to Kurama's dislocated shoulder, he closed his eyes. Kurama felt a very warm - very powerful - healing Yoki spread throughout his beaten body, gently seeking all the injuries and mending them completely, even raising his dangerously-low core temperature by replenishing his flagging life energies and restoring Yoki. After several minutes, Batsukuno opened his eyes, meeting Kurama's, and he nodded. Kurama startled that, even after expending so much Yoki, the chief admin had plenty to spare. _He truly is powerful_, Kurama realized as Batsukuno turned to Hiei, making the same offer. Hiei hesitated but relented at a nod from Kurama. Batsukuno knelt so that he was eye-level with Hiei - again, creating a space of equality with the smaller youkai. He placed one hand lightly across Hiei's lacerated arm, eyes snapping up to Hiei's in honest concern, horrified to read the extent of the damage. _And_, Kurama mused, _he is not acting. He is truly affected by what has happened and seeks to make right what he did out of ignorance and poor judgment. He truly is a man who seeks justice._ Batsukuno close his eyes again in concentration, pouring healing power into Hiei. Kurama saw Hiei brace into Yusuke, then relax to stare almost in disbelief as he realized that Batsukuno truly was doing as he promised - and no more. He knew that Hiei was wary of anyone getting into him with Yoki - he had told Kurama of at least one occasion of someone trying to enslave him with Yoki-powered mind control. Hiei himself did the same when he so employed the Jagan on humans. Batsukuno was trying nothing of the sort. His energies were working in a very straight-forward manner, powerful enough to heal even the most terrible of injuries. Kurama saw Hiei's gaze go to his arm, his hand flexing weakly, and the relief in Hiei's eyes. Yoki slid down to gather over the pot on Hiei's foot, pushing down into the magical goop. Batsukuno placed one hand on the rim, murmuring, "Lift your foot." Hiei did so, visibly surprised and relieved that his foot pulled easily out of the mouth of the pot, the goop sliding down off his boot without a trace. Kurama suppressed a smile at a murmur of something like protest from Kuwabara.

Batsukuno pushed back up to his feet and took a step back, critically eyeing the two youkai. "Are there any injuries that I have missed?"

Hiei shocked them all by growling, "Yes - theirs." He thumbed over his shoulder at Yusuke and Kuwabara.

The two humans braced defensively as the chief admin's attention turned to them. Batsukuno graced them with a small smile. "Youko Kurama, Jaganshi Hiei - I hope you realize what exceptional treasures you have found in these two - and Urameshi Yusuke, Kuwabara Kazuma, you also take care of your friends here. They are rare examples of our kind, individuals such as I have not had the pleasure of seeing for far too long now."

Yusuke frowned at him. "You're awfully quick to change your tone, there, chief."

Batsukuno nodded, acknowledging the human's opinion. "Your skepticism is understandable . . . but that does not change the facts." He paused before offering, "Will you let me touch you, Urameshi Yusuke?"

Yusuke's frown deepened but, like Hiei, he relented at a nod from Kurama. As he did with Hiei and Kurama, Batsukuno fully healed Yusuke, then Kuwabara. Kuwabara pulled his foot from his pot with an audible sigh of relief. That accomplished, Batsukuno stepped back.

He gazed at the two youkai for a long moment, then shook his head in disbelief. "I was not aware of Bokuma's labyrinth playground. Due to the debilitating consequences of navigating that maze, by all rights you two should not have won. Against all odds, you did. The gods indeed were in your favor." He turned fully to Hiei. "Jaganshi Hiei, you are officially recognized as innocent of the murders of the human known as Tarukane Gonzu and people of his household. You and your partner are hereby released of responsibility and penalty for _that _crime." He shifted his gaze to include Kurama and allowed the shadow of a wry grin. "Mind you, this does not absolve either of you of your original convictions. You are still under parole - _back _under parole, I should say." He glanced over his shoulder at Koenma, still perched on the podium. Koenma flew up to his side, hovering at shoulder level. "Lord Koenma, I give you back your Spirit Detectives. Be sure to treat them with honor alongside their human counterparts. You have quite a team here."

"Yes," Koenma murmured softly, nodding as he looked them over with a fond eye. "I am quite proud of them." He cocked an eye at Batsukuno then, commenting loudly enough for all to hear. "Well, Lord Batsukuno, we saw what we would, didn't we? As I said before, it _is_ possible for humans and youkai to operate as one."

Batsukuno gazed at Kurama and Hiei, and Kurama thought he read something like justification in his vivid purple eyes. "So it is, Lord Koenma. So it is."

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	25. Epilogue

(Warning: mild rant) All right, before anyone gets the wrong idea about Kurama and Hiei's relationship from this chapter, let me first off give a little education in acceptable Japanese bathing etiquette. Here are excerpts from a wonderful little book called The Japanese Way: Aspects of Behavior, Attitudes, and Customs of the Japanese by Noriko Takada and Rita L. Lampkin (Passport Books, ISBN 0-8442-8377-0). From "5. Bathing and Bathhouses: At Home" – "Bathing is almost ritual in Japan . . . Sometimes close friends of the same sex will take baths together, chatting and scrubbing each other's backs. Bath time is looked on as a special and happy occasion, as well as a bonding experience for family members." An activity such as this is not, in Japanese culture, automatically taken as an act of homosexuality. It is culturally accepted, even encouraged. (End of rant :grins:)

Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "  
by DragonDancer5150

Epilogue

Hiei sighed in rare contentment, sinking lower into the steaming water of the _ofuroba_ bathtub. He listened as Kurama finished rinsing the soap from his hair, washing the last of the lather down the floor drain. He opened his eyes as Kurama slipped himself into the large bathtub beside him, noting for the first time the necklace hung around his neck. The Hirui stone stood out in stark contrast from the pale skin of Kurama's chest, resting comfortably against his breastbone. "When did you get that mounted?"

Kurama grinned softly. "The setting was an anonymous gift. The captain slipped it to me right before we left Spirit Realm."

Hiei still sensed no Yoki from the stone. He leaned over, taking it up between his thumb and forefinger. He feigned simple curious examination, quietly slipping Yoki into the stone until it was fully replenished. With that, he let it fall back again his brother's chest. "Stupid fox."

Kurama chuckled, then picked up a washcloth, gazing at it as he soaking it. Hiei thought Kurama did so to keep his gaze busy, off of Hiei, so as not to embarrass him any more than the words would. "Thank you, my friend . . . for everything."

Hiei only grunted. He watched as Kurama wrung out the washcloth, set it across his eyes, and sank into the hot water up to his chin, his long crimson hair streaming out across the water's surface around his shoulders. Hiei himself leaned back, thinking over the past hour.

If only because he felt a protective need not to let his brother out of his sight just yet, Hiei accompanied Kurama back home, even going so far as to enter the house with him. He was, after all, known already to the other occupants, if not by his true identity. They found Kurama's mother, Shiori, in the kitchen with her fiancé Hatanaka and the man's son, Shuichi-kun. Shiori had descended on her son immediately.

_"SHUICHI!" She threw her arms around her son, nearly sobbing. "Gods, where have you been?" Then, a mother's righteous anger born of fear overtook her and she grabbed Kurama by one eartail. "How _dare_ you worry me like that! I should ground you for a year for scaring me like this! In fact - " She pulled him over to one of the counters, yanking open a drawer. Kurama glanced over at Hiei, who only shrugged. His friend's human mother was _his_ problem. Hiei, for his part, had never seen such a collection of emotions war on a human face before, a odd mixture of love, worry, and anger._

_ "Sixteen or not," Shiori continued as she pulled a large wooden spoon from the drawer, "you are still my son, Shuichi, and not too old for a good, old-fashion _paddling._" Shuichi-kun gasped in empathy at his big brother's impending doom as Hatanaka nodded his approval._

_ Hiei nearly laughed aloud in spite of himself. After everything his friend had been through over the past twenty-four hours, the threat of a mother's spoon was downright comical by comparison._

_Kurama played his part well as the placating son. "Now, Mom," he protested as he raised one hand to stay her, the other reaching into a pocket. "Before you do anything rash, remember - we talked about this before I left!" Hiei saw him palm something, crushing it behind his back. A light sweet scent filled the room almost immediately. "Don't you _remember,_ Mom?" Hiei recognized the smell of mugen flower._

_ She paused as an odd odor reached her senses. "Remember what . . . and what's that perfume? Shuichi, do you have a girlfriend you haven't told me about?"_

_ Hiei allowed a low chuckle as the question genuinely flustered Kurama for an instant, who subconsciously flushed as crimson as his hair._

_ Stalling for time, Kurama replied adamantly, "Mom! No, I don't have a girlfriend. That's . . . probably one of the plants we went hiking for." Recomposing himself as he noted the glazed expressions overtaking Shiori, Hatanaka, and Shuichi-kun, he calmly explained, "Mom, you must have forgotten. I first told you over a month ago that I would be gone this weekend with my Biology Club. We went hiking around the base of Mount Fuji. It was an overnight excursion."_

_"Hiking . . . excursion . . .?" Shiori murmured vaguely as the pollen's magic took effect._

_ "Yes, Mom, a hiking excursion," Kurama repeated softly, reinforcing the false memory as he gently attempted to pull the lock of hair from her grip. He was not immediately able to, such was the woman's relief that her son was home and safe, wanting to keep a hold of him for reassurance._

_ At his tugging, Shiori realized that she had a hold of her son's hair for some reason. She let go, staring at him for just a moment. Then she threw her arms around him again, holding him close. "I'm sorry, Shuichi. I must have forgotten - I was just so worried. Well, just so long as you're all right and you're home safe." At length, she released her son, stepping back. She realized she had a spoon in her hand and gazed at it for a moment in confusion._

_ "You see, Shiori," Hatanaka commented. "I told he was fine."_

_ "I'm glad you're back, big brother!" Shuichi-kun hopped up from the kitchen table to throw his arms around Kurama in another fierce hug. "I missed you!" Kurama returned the embrace with a heartfelt chuckle. Hiei stood back, watching silently._

_ "Now . . . what was I doing?" Shiori murmured, still staring at the spoon in her hand._

_ "You were going to fix dinner, Mom. Here, why don't you let me - " Kurama gently started to pull the spoon from her hand._

_ "No, no - you've had a long weekend. Why don't you and Kazuki take a good long bath while I get dinner started. Shuichi-kun?"_

_ "Yes, Mom!" The boy let go of Kurama to bounce over to the refrigerator while Shiori pushed both older boys out of the kitchen in the direction of the ofuroba bath room._

Hiei slouched further down in the steaming water, eyes closed, still chuckling softly over his friend's close call with a wooden-spoon spanking.

8 8 8 8 8

Neither he nor Kurama noticed the eye-on-a-finger peeking through the window. The over-elongated digit retracted to its owner, who was hiding up under the eaves of the house, the eye absorbing to return to its proper place in its owner's head.

_A long weekend, indeed. Brother will take care of the humans. I'll let these two enjoy their break for now. The real fun will begin soon enough! _ With that, the shadow retreated, soft cackling riding on the wind in his wake.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

(As the credits roll, "Yasashisa wa Nemuranai" plays in the background)

**Yasashisa wa Nemuranai; Kindness Shall Not Sleep**  
By Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei  
(CD: "Yu Yu Hakusho Collective Rare Trax")

(Yusuke) Atsui kaze wo daite  
Toorisugita kisetsu wa  
(Hiei) Tooku sora wo somete  
Aoi yoru no kanata e  
_The seasons that embraced the hot wind  
And went past by  
Paint the sky  
And moves towards a blue night._

(Kurama) Dakishimeta hoshikuzu ni kazarareta  
Sono mune no yasashisa wa nemuranai  
_Adorned by stardust we embraced  
The kindness of the heart shall not sleep._

(All) Subete ga kagayaite  
Boku-tachi no asa wa hajimaru  
Kibou to itoshisa wo  
Kono te ni nigiri shimete  
_Everything shines  
Our morning begins  
Hope and kindness  
We shall hold in our hands_

(Yusuke) Fui ni sora wo kakeru  
Yuusha-tachi no utagoe  
(Kuwabara) Inochi afureru yume  
Ima subete ga tokeau  
_Suddenly advancing the skies  
Heroes' voices  
Dreams full of life  
Now everything comes together_.

(Kurama) Itsu ka mata kono basho de deau made  
Sono mune no yasashisa wa nemuranai  
_Till someday when we meet in this place once again  
The kindness of the heart shall not sleep_

(All) Tashika na mono dake wo  
Shinjite yukeru sa mou ichido  
Ashita wo ai shite 'ru  
Kono omoi dakishimete  
_Once more we can go on believe  
Only those who are certain  
Loving tomorrow  
Embracing these thoughts._

(Hiei) Sayonara wa iwanai yo  
Omoide wa itsu hi mo mune ni  
_I won't say farewell  
Memories shall any day be in my heart._

(Kurama) Dakishimeta hoshikuzu ni kazarareta  
Sono mune no yasashisa wa nemuranai  
_Adorned by stardust we embraced  
The kindness of the heart shall not sleep._

(All) Subete ga kagayaite  
Boku-tachi no asa wa hajimaru  
Kibou to itoshisa wo  
Kono te ni nigiri shimete  
_Everything shines  
Our morning begins  
Hope and kindness  
We shall hold in our hands_

(All) Tashika na mono dake wo  
Shinjite yukeru sa mou ichido  
Ashita wo ai shite 'ru  
Kono omoi dakishimete  
_Once more we can go on believe  
Only those who are certain  
Loving tomorrow  
Embracing these thoughts._

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


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